Report: Swiss Glaciers Melting at a Faster-Than-Average Rate in 2024

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Facts

  • According to the Switzerland-based glacier monitoring group, GLAMOS, the Nordic country's glaciers have melted at an above-average rate this year due to hot summer temperatures.[1][2][3]
  • Another reason for this year's glacial melting, which GLAMOS said led to a record 2.5% reduction in volume, was dust originating from the Sahara Desert, which darkens the ice and thus inhibits its ability to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere.[1]
  • As more than half of the glaciers in the Alps are located in Switzerland, which is reportedly also enduring temperature rises at more than twice the global average, some scientists say that without significant greenhouse gas reductions, 80% of the glaciers could be gone by 2100.[2]
  • This comes as the Swiss and Italian governments have agreed to redraw their borders due to glacial melting — specifically around the Testa Grigia, Plateau Rosa, Rifugio Carrel, and Gobba di Rollin landmarks, which will also affect the Zermatt ski resort.[4]
  • Glacial melting has also led to several discoveries, including the boot of a German climber who went missing in 1986, the body of British climber Jonathan Conville in 2014, and the wreckage of a place that crashed in 1968.[5]

Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Az, [3]Scnat, [4]Guardian and [5]BBC News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by World Organization for Development. Unfortunately, the issue surrounding glacial melting is a global one, with the world's glaciers reported to have shrunk by half since the late 1800s. While those melting in northern Europe are receiving much-deserved coverage, the most terrifying cases are occurring in Asia, where the loss of the Himalayan glaciers risks threatening billions of people with water shortages. These problems will only worsen if climate change isn't tackled on an international scale.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Cato. Climate alarmists mask the fact that glacial melt and growth are complex geophysical processes. In the Himalayas, for instance, many of the so-called 'endangered' glaciers are growing, with others either remaining the same or melting at much slower rates. Reductionist climate alarmism leads downstream to bad environmental policies and even potential geopolitical tensions if nuances and scientific facts aren't portrayed accurately.

Predictions