© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Many glaciers are set to vanish more quickly than previously thought, study says

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Climate change will cause glaciers around the world to disappear even more quickly than previously thought. But NPR's Rebecca Hersher reports slashing greenhouse gas emissions would still make a big difference.

REBECCA HERSHER, BYLINE: There are more than 200,000 glaciers in mountains around the world, and they're shrinking. But predicting how quickly that's happening has been hard because glaciers are really big and often hard to get to. David Rounce is one of the authors of a new study.

DAVID ROUNCE: In the past couple of years, there's really been a revolution in terms of the amount of data.

HERSHER: Specifically data from satellites, which allows researchers to peer into the future. And what they found is sobering. Many places are on track to lose virtually all of their glaciers by the end of the century.

ROUNCE: So areas like western Canada, the contiguous United States, the caucuses and Middle East, Central Europe, a lot of the glaciers in those mountainous regions would be lost completely.

HERSHER: In all, the new study estimates that unless emissions fall more quickly, nearly 70% of all glaciers will be gone by 2100.

ROUNCE: A lot of the glaciers are very small.

HERSHER: Which makes them more susceptible to melting, says Rounce. But...

ROUNCE: The loss of those glaciers could have a really large impact, even though they're small.

HERSHER: That's because billions of people live downstream of glaciers and use their meltwater for drinking and irrigation.

ROUNCE: Glaciers are unique in that they are there all summer long. And so even in times of extreme heat or when you have an extreme drought, the glaciers will be producing meltwater, and they can be a very important buffer in those times of drought.

HERSHER: The authors of the study also looked at what would happen if humans reduce greenhouse gas emissions faster. They found it would make a big difference. If humans can keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the goal agreed to by world leaders, it would save an estimated 20% of the world's glaciers this century. Rebecca Hersher, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Rebecca Hersher (she/her) is a reporter on NPR's Science Desk, where she reports on outbreaks, natural disasters, and environmental and health research. Since coming to NPR in 2011, she has covered the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, embedded with the Afghan army after the American combat mission ended, and reported on floods and hurricanes in the U.S. She's also reported on research about puppies. Before her work on the Science Desk, she was a producer for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered in Los Angeles.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.