Wednesday, April 16, 2025

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Survey reveals gender divide in household chores

Published 28 November 2023
– By Editorial Staff

Women do the majority of household chores in Iceland, according to a new survey. Men are more likely to do home and car repairs, while women clean, do laundry and shop for groceries.

In a new survey conducted by Gallup, Icelandic women and men in heterosexual relationships were asked how they share household chores within the relationship. 67 percent of women responded that they do most of the housework, while twelve percent of men responded that they take on most of the responsibility, the state broadcaster RUV reported.

Some 61 percent of men believe that the responsibility for childcare at home is shared equally, while only 40 percent of women agree. At the same time, 60 percent of women believe that they take more responsibility for raising children, and only six percent of men believe that they do.

The survey also shows that many tasks are divided between the sexes. Men are more likely to take out the trash, do home repairs, drive the car to the garage, and mow the lawn, while women are more likely to do the laundry, clean the bathroom, and shop for groceries.

Even the so-called “third shift,” planning and keeping track of daily household activities, is more likely to be done by women. Six percent of men think they are mostly responsible for this, while 76 percent of women think they are.

Dishwashing was the task most evenly divided between the sexes.

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New volcanic eruption in Iceland – rescuers threatened with firearms

Published 2 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Icelandic authorities hope that the volcanic eruptions are now over for a long time to come.

On Tuesday morning, yet another volcanic eruption began on the Reykjanes Peninsula. As the town of Grindavik was evacuated once again, rescue personnel were threatened with firearms.

Just a few weeks ago, increased seismic activity was recorded on the peninsula, indicating that new volcanic eruptions were imminent. By this morning, over 200 earthquakes had been registered, and by lunchtime, lava began to flow from a crater.

Since December 2023, Iceland has been hit hard by volcanic eruptions. This is the eighth eruption at Sundhnúk crater.

Threatened with Shotgun

The town of Grindavik has once again been evacuated, but not without problems. A rescue worker was reportedly threatened with a shotgun by a resident when trying to evacuate the town. No one was injured and the person in question has been arrested. Furthermore, around eight people reportedly chose not to evacuate from the town.

Grindavik has been hit hard by the outbreaks. Despite protective walls, which were set up around the town, the lava still flowed in and set buildings on fire. However, most buildings have been destroyed by the earthquakes. Before the eruptions started, around 3,500 people lived in Grindavik, but now almost all the houses have been sold to the state and most people have moved away.

May be the last eruption

On Wednesday morning, it was confirmed that the eruption was over. The last eruption was described as milder, but that there was still a significant amount of magma. Benedikt Ófeigsson, head of deformation measurements at Veðurstofan, Iceland’s meteorological authority, believes this may have been the last eruption in the current eruption sequence on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

I think we can reasonably say this looks like the final phase in the sequence. Magma flow has slowed down significantly over the past year. But whether there could be one more eruption – that’s something we simply cannot know while it’s still unfolding, he told Icelandic state broadcaster RUV.

Iceland braces for possible new volcanic eruptions

Published 13 March 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Grindavík during one of the eruptions in January 2024.

Seismic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula has increased in recent days, which is interpreted as an increased risk of a new volcanic eruption.

Iceland was hit by strong earthquakes in late 2023, which triggered a volcanic eruption. Since then, several eruptions have occurred, causing widespread evacuations, particularly in Grindavík and at the popular Blue Lagoon spa. The most recent eruption occurred in November, when both residents and tourists had to leave the area. Despite warnings from the authorities, some tourists went right up to the lava flows to photograph them.

Four small earthquakes

Four small earthquakes were recorded on Tuesday morning and the Icelandic Meteorological Office believes this could be a sign of an imminent eruption.

– The situation is that we are seeing clear signs of increased seismic activity, especially in the last week. Both at the magma intrusion site, but we are also seeing an increase in seismic activity both northwest and northeast of Grindavík. This has been happening over the past two to three days, Steinunn Helgadóttir, a natural disaster specialist at the Icelandic Meteorological Authority, told Icelandic state broadcaster RUV.

If a new eruption occurs, the warning time may be short. In previous eruptions, it took between 30 and 40 minutes from the first signs to the start of the eruption.

– We expect something similar for this eruption, she says.

Unusually cold in Iceland last year

Published 23 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Snæfellsnes in January 2024.

2024 was recorded as the coldest year in Iceland in the last 27 years, according to the country’s meteorological office. Temperatures were below average for most of the year.

The national average temperature in Iceland was 0.8°C below the average for the period 1991-2020 last year, Icelandic state broadcaster RUV reports. Winter temperatures were below the national average, and although spring was close to average, April was particularly cold with heavy precipitation and snow in the north-east until the end of the month.

Summer was also unusually cold, with temperatures below normal in all summer months except July. In the fall, November offered an unusual contrast: the first half was very warm, while the second half was significantly colder than average.

According to Veðurstofa Íslands, Iceland’s meteorological office, 2024 was the coldest year since 1998.

The highest temperature of the year, 27.5°C, was recorded at Egilsstaðir Airport in eastern Iceland on July 14. The lowest temperature of the year, -28.6°C, was recorded at Svartárkot in northern Iceland on December 31.

Young Icelanders want to ban whaling

Published 13 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Icelandic whaling vessel Hvalur 9 RE-399.

More than half of Iceland’s 18-29 year olds are in favor of banning whaling altogether – while older generations are much more hesitant about a ban.

In December, Iceland’s outgoing prime minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, gave the go-ahead for whaling in the country for the next five years. A license to hunt herring whales was also granted last summer, but as the permit came too late in the season, no whaling took place in Iceland this year.

Almost half of Icelanders are dissatisfied with the recently granted whaling license, according to a survey conducted by Maskína in December. At the same time, a third say they are satisfied, Icelandic state broadcaster RUV reports.

Of men, 45% support whaling, while only 23% of women back the decision. At the same time, the survey shows that there is significant opposition to a total ban on whaling, with a majority of Sjálfststæðisflokkurinn (Independence Party) voters, for example, opposing a legal ban.

More than half of Icelandic women support a ban on whaling. The same is true for more than half of 18-29 year olds, while around 50% of people in the 30-39 age group are also in favor of a ban.

A majority of people in the 50-59 and 60+ age groups are against a ban on whale hunting.

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