| Subject: You omitted the usual "Bush did it". Tired? |
Author:
Curmudgeon
|
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Date Posted: 20:29:51 04/30/07 Mon
In reply to:
sci guy
's message, "wow." on 12:15:29 04/30/07 Mon
>
>out of all the glaciers in the world, and those are
>the only ones growing?
>
>As a percentage of the world's glaciers, I'd say you
>found less than one percent.
>
>
>(BTW, you MIGHT realize that in the few cases you
>brought to us here, that the increased precipitation
>that is causing these few glaciers to expand is due
>to.... You guessed it! Global Warming!)
>
>
>>a good list.
>>href="http://www.iceagenow.com/List_of_Expanding_Glaci
>e
>>rs.htm">http://www.iceagenow.com/List_of_Expanding_Gla
>c
>>iers.htm
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Germany in Losing Battle To Save Last Glacier
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>» Other Articles in this Channel
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>Monday
>>>Germany in Losing Battle To Save Last Glacier
>>>Indian Project Shows Solar Power Affordable, U.N.
>Says
>>>Miracle-Gro Sues Small N.J. Organic Plant-Food Maker
>>>Gore Calls Canadian Climate Change Plan a 'Fraud'
>>>Designed To Mislead Citizens
>>>April 30, 2007 — By Erik Kirschbaum, Reuters
>>>
>>>ZUGSPITZE, Germany -- The winds are cold at any time
>>>of the year on Germany's highest mountain but the
>>>country's last glacier is melting away despite
>>>Herculean efforts to counter the effects of climate
>>>change.
>>>
>>>Spreading giant anti-glare shields over the glacier
>>>each April after piling tonnes of loose snow upon it,
>>>workers at the Zugspitezebahn cable car operator are
>>>fighting a losing battle to keep their glacier alive
>>>-- for business and ecology reasons.
>>>
>>>"We're doing all we can to preserve it as long as
>>>possible, but I'm not God and there's only so much we
>>>can do," said Frank Huber, the manager of cable car
>>>and skiing operations on the 2,962-metre peak in the
>>>northern Alps.
>>>
>>>"I grew up with the glacier and it's sad to think one
>>>day my children's children won't know what it feels
>or
>>>looks like."
>>>
>>>The effort to stave off the demise of the Zugspitze
>is
>>>considerable, but begs the question why Germany, the
>>>world's sixth largest producer of greenhouse gases,
>>>does not do more to tackle the cause of the problem
>>>instead.
>>>
>>>In her speeches, German Chancellor Angela Merkel
>often
>>>cites the Zugspitze's state -- predicting the
>national
>>>treasure may be gone within 20 years -- as an
>argument
>>>for the industrial world to take bolder action
>against
>>>climate change.
>>>
>>>Scientists say global warming is responsible for the
>>>melting ice. U.N.-funded panels of scientists say
>>>heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels are
>>>nudging up temperatures.
>>>
>>>A minority of scientists dismisses global warming,
>>>arguing natural climate fluctuations are
>responsible.
>>>
>>>"It would be more than a shame if the glacier
>>>disappears," Huber said.
>>>
>>>SHRINKING GLACIERS WORLDWIDE
>>>
>>>As an early warning "global thermometer", glaciers
>are
>>>extremely sensitive to climate change. One of the
>>>world's most threatened eco-systems, they have been
>>>shrinking since the start of the industrial age.
>>>
>>>Their retreat has gathered pace in the last
>>>quarter-century, as documented in stunning "before
>and
>>>after" photographs. The Zugspitze was 80 metres thick
>>>in 1910. Now it is only 45.
>>>
>>>The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
>>>set up by the United Nations, has said glaciers are
>>>endangered: "Small Alpine glaciers will disappear
>>>while larger glaciers will suffer a volume reduction
>>>between 30 percent and 70 percent by 2050."
>>>
>>>The melting of the frozen ice is more than just the
>>>loss of picturesque mountain scenery. Without
>>>glaciers, scientists say summertime water levels in
>>>European rivers would drop. Much of the Rhine River
>>>water in the summer comes from glacier melting.
>>>
>>>For the last 14 years at Zugspitze, Huber and his
>>>staff have spread a giant tarpaulin to deflect the
>>>sun, keep the surface cool and shield it from the
>>>corrosive warm summer rain.
>>>
>>>The shield, expanded this year by 50 percent to 9,000
>>>square metres, is due to come out within days. The
>>>operators say it will preserve 30,000 cubic metres of
>>>snow -- roughly equivalent to a football-field-sized
>>>building that is one-storey high.
>>>
>>>"The shield helps slow the process," said Huber. "It
>>>reflects the sun and helps ice form beneath it. But
>>>that and all the other things we're doing are only
>>>going to slow the process down a little bit. We
>aren't
>>>going to be able to save it."
>>>
>>>During the winter, workers also use explosives to set
>>>off controlled avalanches on surrounding slopes to
>>>push snow onto the glacier. They erect rows of fences
>>>-- as farmers do -- on especially exposed parts to
>>>slow wind erosion.
>>>
>>>WASTE OF MONEY?
>>>
>>>Some critics say this is a waste of time and money,
>>>especially as the tarpaulin only covers a relatively
>>>small section of the glacier. Its main aim is to
>>>preserve the ski area and the Zugspitze as a glacier
>>>for marketing reasons, they say.
>>>
>>>"The coverings won't save the glacier because they
>>>only shield a small area for winter sport," said
>>>Markus Weber, meteorologist and glacier expert at the
>>>Bavarian Academy of Sciences in Munich. "It's
>>>expensive and the impact is limited."
>>>
>>>Huber agreed tourism is the driving force.
>>>
>>>"The Zugspitze lives from tourism," he said, noting
>>>that last winter skiers frustrated by a lack of snow
>>>in lower altitudes fled to the reliable conditions on
>>>the glacier.
>>>
>>>"Our goal is to keep the skiing operations going and
>>>that's why we're trying to protect the snow," said
>>>Huber, who has spent 24 years working on the glacier.
>>>"It's our lifeblood."
>>>
>>>No one will say exactly how much the preservation
>>>efforts cost -- but they do say the investment is
>>>considerable.
>>>
>>>About 500,000 tourists take the cable-car or cog rail
>>>car to the peak from village of
>Garmisch-Partenkirchen
>>>each year.
>>>
>>>Huber said that as a result of climate change they
>>>stopped gouging half-pipes for snowboarders into the
>>>glacier. They lost customers in the process, which
>hit
>>>the bottom line.
>>>
>>>But he said the alternative was worse.
>>>
>>>"We realised if we kept digging the half-pipes, the
>>>glacier might be gone in 10 rather than 20 years," he
>>>said.
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