For decades, thousands of visitors would visit Chacaltaya glacier, the highest ski run on earth at 17,400 feet high (5,300m) in the Andes . This is an 18,000 year old glacier and it is a terrible loss for Bolivia and the world, not even thinking about the critical supply of drinking water it provided to the 2 million or more people living in the area. I kept checking the news on TV to find any commentary on this loss, but could only find what Miss California, beauty queen, had said about gay marriage.
Photos are from the BBC and the article is here -
Now you see it, now you don’t
Dr. Edson Ramirez, head of an international team of scientists who have been studying the glacier since 1991 said “Chacaltaya has disappeared. It no longer exits.” Dr. Ramirez and his team will hold a special ceremony this month to mourn the passing of this mighty glacier. All of us should mourn as well. We have done brilliant things, technically important things, but when was the last time we could repair/replace a glacier?
Prince Charles said: “ We should be treating, I think, the whole issue of climate change and global warming with a far greater degree of priority than I think is happening now.”
Yes, we should because this glacier has many cousins all over the world. They are next. It’s no longer “if”. It’s “when”.
7 comments:
People seem to be in denial about the severity of this crisis. I don't even hear Al Gore speaking about Global Warming now.
This is probably the most pressing issue we have and so few seem to be aware or to care. Thank you for drawing attention to Climate Change.
It's kind of strange to know of something so big just disappearing. Hopefully someone will find an immediate solution for the people nearby,and a long term one for everyone.
To see these pictures, before and after glacier, really hits home. Very sad.
Your blog is full of all kinds of interesting things. Your Introduction is so wise. I should do the same for my little grandsons.
Shalom from Jerusalem.
Here in Portland State University we are highly involved in sustainability and climate change research. Recently $25 million has been donated to PSU to do more research on this area. Let's be hopeful for future. The world has started figuring out how to deal with this issue.
Thanks for your visit and comments. George Mardikian sounds Armenian. There are some Iranian-Armenians live in Iran, mostly in Isfahan and Tehran and probably in the northwest of the country.
I am not familiar with this glacier and how it has completely receded. Thanks for highlighting this!
This is so frightening on every level. I hope it's not too late to turn back.
Thats very sad .... and the mainstream media gives attention only to the trivial stuff and not these ones .....
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