With rising global mean temperatures vis-à-vis increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the future of the world’s glaciers appears bleak. The recent collapse of the Birch glacier in Blatten, Switzerland, and the ceremonial funeral of the Yala glacier in Nepal echo the elegies of a changing climate and uncertain futures. An analysis of glacier mass loss over the past two decades suggests that the trend is likely to persist, regardless of emission reductions. More than symbolic losses, the retreat of glaciers—often considered sentinels of climate change—is a signal for massive ecological cataclysm, water crisis, and the crumbling of the cultural milieu.
Melting Glaciers and the Planetary Cry for Climate Action (Soma Sarkar – Observer Research Foundation)
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