Scotland Post: When things go badly for our glaciers, they go badly for all of us. They are our lifelines

Thanks to Alice Hinds of the Scotland Post for this piece on the impact of climate warming on our glaciers, why they are so important to us as people and how what we do now is critical for the health of our glaciers and the lifelines they provide to us.

“When things change negatively for glaciers, it’s also the same for us because, in many ways, they are our lifelines. Not only do they provide us with fresh and clean water – a lot of water, actually, as almost 70% of the planet’s freshwater is tied up in glaciers and ice sheets – they also control our sea levels, control our climate, fertilise oceans and provide us with fish.

As glaciers get smaller, there will be less freshwater available, as it will actually be in the oceans, which are then rising. So, we’ve created two problems – a lack of water in the mountains and too much water in the seas..

There are millions of people at risk through the changes that come with glaciers melting. Every fraction of a degree that we add or save will make a difference.”

Jemma Wadham, May 2021