The president of Iceland called his tiny island nation a leader in confronting climate change and urged others to follow suit, emphasizing the importance of geothermal energy in a speech at the Science Center last night.

Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, speaking to a crowd of about 250, said that Iceland has undergone a radical transformation from dependence on coal and oil in the past 30 years.

He added that 100 percent of his country’s electricity now comes from renewable sources, and that almost all houses are heated with geothermal energy.

He encouraged the United States and others to invest more in renewable energy for the sake of the environment.

“The scientific debate on whether climate change is really happening is over,” Grimsson said.

He said that it is vital to address the world’s growing energy needs.

“There is perhaps no more important or challenging subject,” he said.

Grimsson is the first speaker in the third annual Future of Energy seminar series, organized by the Harvard University Center for the Environment to bring attention to energy research at Harvard.

“It’s inspiring to see a head of state working so hard on climate issues and it was an honor for him to start this year’s lecture series,” said James I. Clem, managing director of the center.

Taking stock of his audience, Grimsson called on universities to provide scientific manpower to make the transition to renewable fuels.

In an interview after the lecture, he said that students are crucial for bringing innovative ideas to energy production—whether in science or in politics.

This morning, Grimsson will appear before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to testify in favor of a bill that would create a national geothermal research initiative, according to the Senate Web site.

Grimsson expressed astonishment at the paucity of geothermal generation in the United States, given that the nation sits atop the second-largest geothermal resources in the world—following only Indonesia.

Grimsson concluded that harnessing the “fireball on which we sit” could revolutionize energy production across the globe.