Clearing the Ash From the Eyjafjallajokull Eruption

In April and May 2010 Iceland was in the grip of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption.

The international consequence was, as some may remember, a lot of grounded international flights. In Iceland the disgusting ash from the eruption seemed to permeate everything. Fortunately for us living here (but unfortunately for flight travelers) the prevailing winds seemed to blow most of the ash away from the main population centers. Still, there were some bad days here in Reykjavik where staying outside a lot didn´t really seem a good idea.

The situtaion in the south was dire. Livestock suffered and farms and houses near to the eruption were engulfed. I had the opportunity to join my workmates on a Red Cross sponsored trip to clean the ash from farmsteads near to the eruption. My spot was the farm of Thorvaldseyri which is in itself a pretty remarkable place. The farmer there is a true pioneer in acriculture and if you visit the place you can visit a memorial house dedicated to the eruption. The work was hard but it felt good to do something for the people on the farm who were living in the shadow of the monstrous ash cloud with their livelihood under threat.

Written by Jón Heiðar Þorsteinsson