I went to Iceland for a road trip. I left with climate anxiety. - POLITICO Europe

I went to Iceland for a road trip. I left with climate anxiety. - POLITICO

JÖKULSÁRLÓN, Iceland — I feel like I am watching the end of humanity.

As gusts of wind and rain sweep across the glacial lake of Jökulsárlón, milk-white and light blue icebergs slowly drift toward the Atlantic Ocean, circled by otters and birds. Crowds of spectators in rain gear pose for selfies. Others, eager to get a glimpse of the ice formations up close, board an amphibious boat.

A few hundred meters away, chunks of ice have washed up on the shore, standing out like crystals against a backdrop of black volcanic sand. Photographers, shielding their cameras from the swirling sand and rain, rearrange the ice blocks in search of the perfect shot.