Pub. date: 2011 | Online Pub. Date: May 04, 2010 | DOI:
10.4135/9781412973816 | Print ISBN: 9781412996822 | Online ISBN:
9781412973816| Publisher:SAGE Publications, Inc.About this
encyclopedia Susan H. Weaver Located at the head of the Faxaflói
Bay in southwestern Iceland, Reykjavik adopted its town charter
in 1786 and became the capital of Iceland following the grant by
Denmark of Home Rule in 1874. It was named Reykjavik, or Smoky
Bay, soon after the first Norse settlers arrived in the late 9th
century. The hot springs that give the city its name are heated
by active volcanoes, and are in large part responsible for
Reykjavik's acclaim in geothermal energy use and technologies.
The city has been recognized as a Best Practice example for
renewable energy by C40Cities, a network of cities that is
affiliated with the Clinton Climate Initiative. Reykjavik has
declared its intent to eliminate fossil fuel use within its
jurisdiction altogether by 2040, and in January 2010 announced
that it will seek the European C