Alternative Education

Climate Change and Global Warning have always been topics of discussion, however it has only been in the past couple of years where they have become mainstream topics. It's not just scientists and researchers, it's everyone (regardless of what side they are on). However, with new issues/discoveries emerging every day, this topic is starting to sound like a broken record: the climate is changing, the world is getting warmer, if we don't do something soon then we will lose our planet. 

from JunkScience.com

Some people are starting to tune out the warnings and either believe it's not happening, or that yes it is happening but there is no way to stop it. In order to reach and educate these people, new methods of delivering the information need to be established. 

On display at the Dennis W. Dutzi art gallery on campus at California State University Long Beach, there is currently an exhibit titled "Glacier". The exhibit consists of 5 ceramic pieces that are shaped and textured to look like melting, eroded, and crumbling glaciers. Mary E. Beierle, a Master of Fine Arts grad, is the artist and hopes her creation provides more awareness about the melting polar ice caps. Beierle also created a video to go alongside her sculptures as an interactive piece. She believes, "We're all on this planet together" and hopefully this exhibit provides a new medium to change people's minds about climate change.

Mary E. Beierle & her "Glacier" exhibit 

Another artistic medium bringing awareness of climate change to the forefront, is music. Jonathan Perl, a music professor at City College of New York has created "sonificaitions" (musical soundscapes) with Marco Tedesco, a climate professor at City University of New York. Their creation has merged music with the sound of Greenland's glacial ice melting over the past 54 years. 

Perl believes this musical representation allows people to connect with the concept of climate change on a much deeper level than just hearing "it's melting". He translated the data graphs of the ice cap changing over time (melting rate and annual temperatures) and set it to sound. Increased melting rates became increased clicking sounds, where as the lower albedo ratio (measures the reflectiveness or whiteness of a surface. The ratio decreases as the surface becomes less reflective due to melting) is represented by lower bass frequencies. Perl's vision was to "display this graph to someone who was visually impaired". 

With these alternative forms of education emerging, it is becoming harder and harder to people to ignore the fact that climate change is here. These alternative forms of awareness can also draw tourists in to a destination, because who wouldn't want to hear the sounds of Greenland's melting ice caps played by an orchestra? 

Sources:

California State University Long Beach: "Glacier" exhibit turns melting ice caps into art.

CTV News: What does 54 years of melting glaciers sound like?

Glaciers & Climate Change

Glaciers come in many shapes and sizes, and are found all over the world. However due to Climate Change most of those glaciers are disappearing. During the 20th Century, glaciers in the Canadian Rockies have decreased by 25%, whereas glaciers in the European Alps have decreased by 30-40%.  Of the once 150 glaciers in Glacier National Park, USA, only 35 remain and over the next 30 years are expected to disappear completely.

Angel Glacier (a hanging glacier) at Mt. Edith Cavil, Jasper National Park

In 2004, 80% of Mountain Biosphere Reserves (MBR) identified the number one concern of Climate Change was the impact on tourism and recreation. Not only does Climate Change impact the aesthetic nature that tourists are coming to see, but the water supply is also affected by the change in water-storage capabilities. These changes can also lead to glacier avalanches, and landslides.

Avalanche on Mt. Snow Dome near the head wall of the Athabasca Glacier

That all being said, the bright side (if there is a bright side) to Climate Change, is new tourism opportunities can develop. The tourism industry is always suffering from seasonality, but with the warmer weather some glacier destinations can add new activities or extended the season for current activities, such as hiking and mountain biking, or even swimming in glacial lakes.

Polar Bear Dip 2011 in Lake Sunwapta near the toe of the Athabasca Glacier (3 different flip flops were lost that day, mine included)

Going back to the water-storage aspect of glaciers and Climate Change, it is not just the local water supply that is affected but the nearby oceans as well. The Dome Glacier, for example, is one of the only triple continental divides in the world. Water from this glacier flows into 3 different oceans, the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Arctic.

Dome Glacier in Jasper National Park

 The glacier is called Dome Glacier because it is on Mt. Snow Dome, which got its name from being dome shaped. This glacier, much like the Andromeda Glacier nearby, has carved a bowl shape in the side of the mountain, hence why both these glaciers are known as bowl shaped glaciers. Andromeda, however also has hanging glacier aspect to it as well. 

Andromeda Glacier on Mt. Andromeda, Columbia Icefield

Source
WTO/UNEP's Climate Change & Tourism: Responding to Global Challenges

Science Rules

Growing up as a kid, I did not have that many TV channels. One channel I did have, was TVO and every single day I would watch the Magic School Bus and Bill Nye the Science Guy. So in honour of my inner child, I decided to see what Bill Nye the Science Guy has to say about glaciers.

After much YouTube surfing, all I managed to find was the segment on "Heat", which discussed the heat energy. Apparently even though glaciers and ice are cold, they still consist of heat energy. The more molecules something has, the more heat energy it has. Even though there is no glacier related episode (or easily accessible episode) of Bill Nye the Science Guy, I did come across this video...

This past July, within a period of 4 days, the ice sheet in Greenland went from 40% melted to 97% melted. Apparently it melts a little every year, but this was one of the few times it has melted this much. Not only did this thaw cause significant damage and flooding, but it also affected the coldest and highest point in the country, Summit Station (3.2 km (2 miles) above sea level); global warming was most likely a factor in this case.

On the outside of the ice sheet there is compacted snow, which is known as "firn". According to Alexander Robinson, a German glaciologist (person who studies glaciers), if the firn is thick and the surface melts, eventually the firn will refreeze and the water will turn back into ice. However if this keeps happening, or there is a significant melt, the firn becomes thinner  and has a harder time refreezing. National Geographic estimates, the sea level would rise by 7 meters (23 feet), globally, if the ice sheet in Greenland completely melts.

Sources
National Geographic: "Shocking" Greenland Ice Melt: Global Warming or Just Heat Wave?