| Mazama Glacier – Caleb Sattgast Photo |
[From the February 2012 Mazama Bulletin]
By Walter Keutel
Between 1904 and 2006, the twelve glaciers on Mt. Adams have shrunk to just about half their size. This observation was reported in a 2010 Portland State University study about glacier changes on Mt. Adams. The study also showed that the glaciers on Mt. Adams retreat at a faster pace than the glaciers on Mt. Hood (32% loss) and Mt. Rainier (24% loss). This study was recently referenced in an article in the Oregonian.(1)
The study and the article describe a reality that many Mazamas members, who have climbed in the Cascades for decades, have witnessed with their own eyes—our glaciers are melting. Although neither publication explicitly established a connection between glacial melt and human impact, the first reader to comment on the Oregonian’s website argued that the study is part of a “liberal, socialist plot” to make it look like glaciers are shrinking. Interesting that the mere mention of environmental issues such as receding glaciers or global warming so quickly becomes a political ploy.
That our glaciers are shrinking is real, and it’s a reality independent of political conviction or debate. The earth is warming, and the evidence draws us to the conclusion that humans have an increasing influence on climate in spite of the fact that over time, weather patterns change, some species flourish, others go extinct, and glaciers shrink and grow.
Unfortunately, climate change, shrinking glaciers, and virtually all other environmental concerns are too quickly tied up in political knots. Although we know it is likely that another ice age will occur at some point in the far future whether we’re here or not, neither the political fight club nor geological reality should prevent us: individuals, corporations, and governments from acting as if the traces we leave behind matter and have the potential to deeply affect our environment.
When we enjoy the outdoors we are not making a political statement, but we acknowledge that we have a responsibility to preserve what we find and to make it possible for others who come after us (including ourselves on future return trips) to have the same unblemished experience. We strive to leave no trace whenever we can. What would the world be like if we took “leave no trace” home after each and every hike or climb? What if “leave no trace” was right up there with “increase profits” on every corporation’s “to do” list? What if it was the unspoken, de-politicized way we all lived? That’s a question that has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with personal, individual, corporate and governmental responsibility.
1. Associated Press. “Glaciers shrinking on Mount Adams.” Oregonian on the web, January 8, 2012 http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/01/glaciers_shrinking_on_mount_ad.html