Hot Ice!

Hello world! My name is Arnor and I am a snow & ice helper here at KISC. That means that I am responsible for activities such as ice climbing and crevasse rescue on the amazing Fründen-glacier, just outside Kandersteg. I consider myself very lucky, as working on a glacier is both challenging and awesome and glaciers are among my favourite things in the world. However, there is a darker side to the story. The fact is that glaciers everywhere in the world are disappearing fast, due to climate change caused by humans.

How fast are the glaciers melting?

Fast enough for you to care, even if you’ve never even seen a glacier.

My home country, Iceland, is home to dozens of glaciers, including the largest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull. Current estimates suggest that Vatnajökull will have completely disappeared in less than 200 years. Earlier this year, glaciologists in Iceland declared that one of the most famous glaciers in Iceland, simply named Ok, does not qualify as a glacier anymore.

Another example of this fast melting is the fact that in the year 1850 there were more than 150 glaciers in Glacier national park in Montana, USA, but now there are only 25 left.

Out of 140 glaciers in Switzerland, only 2 are not currently retreating. Even my work place, Fründen-glacier, retreats about 10 to 20 meters every year. At that rate, it will have completely disappeared in a few decades and the KISC snow & ice programme may be a thing of the past.

Why does it matter?

If all glaciers on earth melt, the sea level will rise an estimated 64 meters. Almost all of the great populated areas on earth are by the sea, so this will have a devastating effect  on places like New York, Beijing and all island nations.

Glaciers have a huge impact on weather patterns in high altitude and high latitude areas, and their disappearance will make the weather in these places hotter, dryer, and more extreme.

About 80% of all freshwater on earth is bound in glaciers. If this freshwater melts and flows into the sea, it can alter the salinity and temperature of the oceans. This will make the sea less habitable for many types of sea creatures, cause extinctions, and change ocean currents, such as the Gulf stream that gives northern Europe its gentle climate.

What to do?

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much we can do to save the glaciers. Most climate scientists agree that the damage already caused by climate change is irreversible and it is probably too late to save the glaciers.

On the other hand, more and more people are becoming aware of this development, and fossil fuel usage (which causes climate change) is on decline.

Whether we will be able to save the glaciers or not, I have one advice for you: Use every chance you get to enjoy the wonders that glaciers have to offer. Go glacier-trekking, go ice climbing, experience the amazing feeling of strapping on a pair of crampons and wielding an ice axe. I promise you, it will be awesome. Enjoy the glaciers while they last, and have a safe and successful mountaineering.

By Arnór Bjarki Svarfdal (IS)
SNICE 2015

Eco fashion

No matter how much or how little we are interested in fashion, we all wear something.  But where do our clothes come from, what are they made of and what do we do with them when we’re finished with them?

Be Careful with Cotton!

Cotton farming uses a lot of water.  Since the 1960s badly planned cotton farming in Central Asia caused the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan to dry up. It used to be 68,000 km² wide, the 4th largest salt water body in the world.  Now only 10% of the water is left.

Cotton farming also uses lots of chemicals.  In California alone, over 3 million kilos of chemicals are used in cotton farming.

 

Stranded boats on what used to be the Aral Sea.

Synthetic Fabrics

Many synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon are made from petroleum products and their manufacture is harmful to the environment. They often contain harmful chemicals and do not biodegrade when they are disposed of. A lot of outdoor clothing is made from synthetic fabrics.

Disposable Fashion

More and more people are buying very cheap clothes which are of poor quality.  When they wear out they just throw them away and buy new ones. This is a big environmental problem. On average every person in the UK dumps 30 kg of clothes and textiles a year!

The Good News

Many companies make clothes from recycled materials.  For example, fleeces can be made from recycled PET bottles.

Don’t forget to recycle your PET bottles while at KISC! Recycled polyester and nylon are available which use no crude oil and use less energy to produce than new polyester  and nylon.

 

Organic cotton uses no harmful chemicals. 

Responsible cotton farming saves water and protects ecosystems.

What can you do?

• Buy secondhand clothes when you can

• Swap your clothes with your friends.

• Buy less clothes that are more durable and look after them.

• Wash your clothes less often and at lower temperatures.

• Use eco-friendly detergents like we do here at KISC.

• Repair old clothes rather than throwing them away.

• When you dispose of clothes, recycle them or give them to a secondhand shop.

 

Sources: “Well dressed?” Cambridge University (2006) ¦  www.patagonia.com

  

Remember, what you wear matters.  Think about your clothes before you buy them.  What are they made of, where did they come from and how long will they last?

By Annie Lewis (UK)

Eco Assistant

Eat-able Plants in Switzerland

Since ancient times, humans have had to find a way to feed themselves. They couldn't go to McDonald's or order a from Papa Johns'. Instead, they used other methods before they learned how to sow the seed's and make the plants grow. The only way to get their own food was by hunting or foraging . The Alps are made up of very different weather in areas very close together. This makes the environment very diverse, letting us find different kinds of plant's, some of them are edible or give fruits. We show you next some of the edible plants or alpine fruits that you can eat.

Alpine strawberry's (Jerry's favorites)

You can find them on the ground, little plants of about 15 cms long, each one give an average of 6 or 7 strawberries. These fruits are eaten by the marmot's because of their sweet taste, it's a treat for it.


Pine needles

This tree is very common in Switzerland, it can be found along the whole country. A difference between this tree and others is that it doesn't have leaves, instead it has needles. At the end of these needles you can find other ones that have a lighter green colour, which ones you can eat or boil for tea. The needles have a citrus flavor, which indicate that it contains some percentage of vitamin C.


Wood sorrel

Theses little plant's grow on the ground, and usually you can find lots of them all together, similar to the shamrocks but with some difference's, the wood sorrel have a citrus taste, you can eat them directly from the ground or you can put them inside boiling water to prepare tea. Just be careful not to mix them up with the Clover plant leaves, these ones have white stripes and can give you diarrhea.

By Jerry Venegas (MX)
Summer 2015