Meltdown: The Earth Without Glaciers

The article discusses the importance of glaciers and the impact of melting ice on the environment, including rising sea levels, altered reflectivity, and disruptions to ocean and air currents. It highlights the ecological role of glaciers in maintaining a stable global climate and the potential for catastrophic events such as tsunamis and floods when glaciers collapse. The book "Meltdown" by Jorge Daniel Taillant explores the cryosphere, the realm of invisible subsurface rock glaciers, and the actions that can be taken to address climate change and save glaciers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The impact of melting glaciers on our planet is undeniable and far-reaching. These massive ice bodies, which hold approximately three-quarters of our freshwater, are crucial for maintaining a stable global climate. However, despite their importance, glaciers are not adequately protected from the effects of climate change. As these ice sheets melt, they contribute to rising sea levels, altering the Earth's reflectivity, disrupting ocean and air currents, destabilizing global ecosystems, and warming our climate. The consequences are devastating, with floods swamping millions of acres of coastal land and causing widespread destruction.

In addition to their ecological role, glaciers provide numerous environmental functions, such as regulating water flow, storing carbon, and supporting biodiversity. The loss of these functions will have far-reaching consequences for the health of our planet and its inhabitants.

As climate change continues to accelerate, the melting of glaciers is becoming a more pressing concern. The warming of glacier cores leads to the collapse of glacier ice, which triggers tsunamis that send deadly ice blocks, rocks, earth, and billions of liters of water rushing down mountain valleys. These tsunamis have occurred in the past in various regions, including the Himalayas, the Central Andes, the Rockies, and the European Alps, and there is a risk that they will happen again.

In his new book, Meltdown, Jorge Daniel Taillant delves deeper into the cryosphere, connecting the dots between climate change, glacier melt, and the impacts on livability on Earth, our environments, and our communities. Taillant explores the little-known realm of the periglacial environment, which consists of invisible subsurface rock glaciers that will outlive exposed glaciers as climate change destroys surface ice. He also examines actions that can be taken to stop climate change and save glaciers, including exploring how society, politics, and our leaders have responded to the global COVID-19 pandemic and yet largely failed to address the urgent issue of glacier melt.

The melting of glaciers is a complex problem that requires a global response. It is essential that we take action to reduce our carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. This includes implementing policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promoting renewable energy sources, and investing in climate adaptation and resilience measures.

In conclusion, the melting of glaciers is a significant threat to our planet's health and well-being. It is essential that we take action to protect these vital ice bodies and mitigate the effects of climate change. By working together, we can ensure a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.

Weight: 586g
Dimension: 314 x 316 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190080327