Pretty funny stuff from Saturday Night Live this weekend, as they brought on fake Bjork to represent Iceland and share her thoughts on the eruption/disruption with fake Larry King.
Larry King: “Now, let me get this straight. First, Iceland’s economy collapses, and you ruin all the banks in Europe.
Larry King: “Now, Bjork, has anything positive come out of this.” Bjork: “Yes. Iceland is now the world’s number-one exporter of volcanic ash. Previously, our main exports were reindeer bones and giggles.
We also get an appearance from Sir Richard Branson and lullaby to the volcano from Bjork. Well played, SNL. Almost as good as the time Bjork joined Charles Barkley on Iconoclasts.
The New York Times is providing fantastic coverage of the still-lingering volcanic ash cloud that has been severely disrupting — and in most places completely halting — air traffic in Europe since the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in Iceland on Wednesday.
Volcanologists had no reliable prediction of how long the eruption would continue, as travelers scrambled for train reservations, rental cars and hotel rooms. Others simply searched for comfortable benches in airports, which were considerably calmer and emptier than on Friday as passengers realized that no flights would be going in or out.
Europe’s three largest airports — London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris-Charles de Gaulle — were all shut on Saturday, with officials hoping that flights could resume sometime Sunday or, more likely, Monday.
Volcanologists had no reliable prediction of how long the eruption would continue, as travelers scrambled for train reservations, rental cars and hotel rooms. Others simply searched for comfortable benches in airports, which were considerably calmer and emptier than on Friday as passengers realized that no flights would be going in or out.
Europe’s three largest airports — London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris-Charles de Gaulle — were all shut on Saturday, with officials hoping that flights could resume sometime Sunday or, more likely, Monday.
Aviation authorities throughout the UK, France, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe were forced to halt all flights today as a giant plume of volcanic ash blow over the continent. The Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland erupted Wednesday, causing some flooding and general inconvenience domestically, but the lingering and drifting cloud has caused the most problems.
The shutdown, among the most sweeping ever ordered in peacetime, forced the cancellation of thousands of flights and left airplanes stranded on the tarmac at some of the world’s busiest airports as the rolling cloud — made up of minute particles of silicate that can severely damage airplane engines — spread over Britain and toward continental Europe.
Obviously, this whole event is interrupting business throughout the EU and that is a big pain in the tuckus and people are upset and concerned and companies are losing money and yadda yadda yadda…
But much more importantly … LOOK, GUYS, IT’S LAVA … pretty much my favorite thing ever.
Below is a photo of an amazing eruption earlier this month by Eyjafjallajökull. I have no idea how to pronounce that. But it sure is gorgeous. Check out the Boston Globe‘s photo gallery for more awesome — both in the traditional sense and in cool-kid-vernacular — photos.
Gordon Woo, lead catastrophist for Risk Management Solutions, said insurance implications from the Eyjafjöll volcano eruptions could include payouts from Iceland’s national natural catastrophe insurance fund—which covers volcanic eruptions and glacial floods—if there is damage.
Additionally, he said business interruption for the aviation industry could be triggered due to the temporary closure of airspace in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia as a precaution over the airborne ash plume.
Aviation and travel insurers will be hit by the cost of several days of flight cancellations, Mr. Woo noted.
Floods from the melting glaciers will likely cause river levels to rise and potentially cause damage, RMS said, citing Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management.
The ash cloud affect, said Bill McGuire from the Aon Benfield UCL Hazard Research Centre, can cause major damage to aircraft by clogging engines and causing them to flame out, and by scouring windscreens so as to make them opaque.
The article also mentions that the last eruption by this volcano last 12 months — so there could be ash problems again in the future. Stay tuned.
And head over to National Underwriter for even more insights from Woo and McGuire.
