A Melting World: The Effects of Accelerated Glacial Recession (Essay #1: Position - Rough Draft)

Torrents of water rushing down from once benign mountain lakes are killing thousands of people, coastal villages are being destroyed, and water supplies are being severely threatened by one of the newest natural killers in the world. What is this killer and is this reality or fiction? Glacial melting is the killer in question, and currently this statement is fictional, however there is good reason to believe that this fictional statement is about to become a reality. Although many people believe that accelerated glacial recession is not a concern, it is a major problem because it has the potential to create catastrophic flooding, it is a cause of dramatic climate change, and because much of the world’s fresh water supply is held within the glaciers of the earth.

First one should have a basic understanding of glaciers and what the term means when being used within the context of this paper. According to (Earth Revealed) the definition of the word glacier is, “a large, long-lasting mass of ice, formed on land by the compaction and recrystallization of snow, which moves because of its own weight.” At the same time (Earth Revealed) defines the word ice cap as, “a glacier covering a relatively small area of land but not restricted to a valley,” and once again (Earth Revealed) defines an ice sheet as, “a glacier covering a large area (more than 50,000 square kilometers) of land.” For the purposes of this paper the term glacier will be used to represent any mass of ice which was formed through the process of recrystallization; therefore the term glacier will be used to represent valley glaciers, ice sheets, and ice caps, unless otherwise noted. The process of recrystallization as stated is a fairly simple concept. In its most basic form recrystallization can be described as snow falling in an area where due to one climate variable or another, the snow does not completely melt away before more snow falls on top of the older snow. This process continues over a period of many years and eventually the snow layers that have been buried start to bond together, eventually creating what we call glacier ice.

The basic geography of a glacier consists of three parts, there is the accumulation zone, which in relative terms usually occupies the higher elevations of glacier. It is in this zone that more snow falls annually then actually melts, and in turn causes a glacier to grow, or to recede if that snowfall starts to lessen. The second geographic area of a glacier is the ablation zone, this area is generally lower in elevation than the accumulation zone, and it is here that the snow melts off usually resulting in bare ice during warmer months. The third region of a glacier is called the terminus; this is the end of the glacier. A moraine on a glacier is basically a pile of ground up rock and debris that is left in piles along the glaciers sides. Sometimes moraines come together as glaciers from different valleys merge together causing these moraines to run down the center of a glacier, running lengthwise with the glacier, these are called lateral moraines. Another type of moraine that forms is called a terminal moraine, and this type is formed at the end, or terminus of the glacier. A terminal moraine formed at the end of a glacier is basically a large pile of rock and debris, and as the glacier recedes farther beyond this moraine, the debris pile is left in place. Sometimes when these debris piles are leftover they form dams, causing the melting waters coming from the glacier to develop lakes behind these debris piles. As one can imagine, the faster a glacier melts, the more water is melted away and left to fill these glacial lakes, and if the water enters the lakes faster than the lakes can empty the water through small run-off streams, then “wham!!,” the natural dam formed by the old terminal moraine fails, causing thousands of gallons of water to rush forth in a torrential flood, annihilating anything in the path of these killers. According to the United Nations Environment Programme [sic] (UNEP) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), they have “… reported the finding of at least 44 glacial lakes in the Himalayas that are filling so rapidly they could burst their banks in as little as five years’ time, sending millions of gallons of deadly floodwaters swirling down valleys and putting tens of thousands of lives at risk. The lakes are rapidly filling with icy water as rising temperatures in the region accelerate the melting of glaciers and snowfields that feed them.” http://www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/2002/issue3/0302p48_glacial_lakes_flood_threat.htmlThis is just one of the few problems associated with accelerated glacial recession.

Another problem facing the planet is that not only is the rate at which glaciers are melting increasing due to climate changes, but the accelerated rate also has the potential to cause some very significant climate changes in itself, thus causing a very violent and horrific cycle. Science Daily recently published an article, “According to two international-research studies on the last ice age, studies with the participation of Dr. Rainer Zahn, research professor in the ICREA at the UAB Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) … when the great ice sheets covering North America and Scandanavia [sic] melted at the end of the last ice age, the subsequent flow of fresh water into the North Atlantic caused the greatest natural disturbance in ocean circulation in the last 20,000 years.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070507113401.htm Of course the ocean helps to regulate the different climates of the earth by a mechanism of heating and cooling. According to Dr. Zahn and the international-research studies, “Any variation in ocean circulation may lead to substantial and abrupt climate changes (that is to say over less than 30 years) on a global scale.” These facts lead one to believe that the acceleration of glacial recession is in fact a very large problem facing the earth.

Still there is yet another very large problem associated with accelerated glacial recession, and that is the fact that according to information presented by the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) webpage, “Water Science for Schools,” pertaining to where the earth’s freshwater is stored, “…about 69 [sic] percent, is locked up in glaciers and icecaps…” Whereas if you use the table presented on the same page, it states that only 0.26 percent of fresh water is stored in lakes. What does this mean to the people of the world? In some regions there are whole populations that are dependent on glacial runoff as the primary source of water, and with the accelerated rate of glacial recession there is a great risk of a large-scale freshwater shortage in the near future.

Some would argue that accelerated glacial recession is just a natural phenomena and that it is the natural cycle of the earth to have the glaciers of the world melt at such an alarming rate. However, there is a large amount of evidence against this point of view, and due to the reasons that were just stated it is well worth looking at the issue of accelerated glacial recession. These problems are not just localized problems, when they happen it will impact each and every person living on this planet.

There is a time to stand still and do nothing, and there is a time to act. The time to do nothing has passed, and the time to act is upon us. As a person, as a nation, and as a global community we need to provide more in the way of research and try to understand what is happening to the glaciers of this world. It is imperative to the survival of our population as a whole that we find out why the glaciers are melting at such a fast rate and if there is anything we can do to help once again slow down the rate of recession.

Banff Mountain Film Festival Review (XC Cultural Review)

On Sunday, the Tenth of February, the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour held it’s annual showing at the Davis Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Despite the cold weather the auditorium was full of adventure-minded Fairbanksians eager to get a look at this years films.

It all starts in Banff, Canada, at the Banff Centre. It is there at the Banff Centre, which according to the Banff Centre website is a, “… globally respected arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference facility,” where the Banff Mountain Film Festival takes place. This year marked the thirty-second year running for the festival, and of over three-hundred films entered into the competition, fifty films were screened throughout the week in Banff. The films vary from independent films shot on camcorders to professionally done films with camera crews and professional lighting. The genres of the films vary as well, however they all hold to one overlying theme, and that is Mountain Adventure. Every year there is a book competition and photography competition that coincides with the film festival, and when all of it gets put together, it is referred to as the Mountain Festivals.

Every year, from the winners of the different film categories at the festival in Banff, a number of the films go on tour, and this is what was showing in Fairbanks on the Tenth of February. According to the announcer at the show, the World Tour reached all seven continents this year, and amazingly included two separate showings in Antarctica.

As far as the show in Fairbanks, it was well done and included a multitude of films, all in all lasting about two and a half hours, including the intermission. The films that were viewed ran the gamut from mountain biking to snowkiting, skiing to deep-water soloing, personal looks at climbing and loss to environmental satires. It was a great variety this year and was orchestrated well so that the pace of the films all complemented one another.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is a highly recommended annual event in Fairbanks, and for those who have never been, it would serve you well to brave the cold next year and attend. The films promise to inspire the young and old alike, and to shed some light on some of the most amazing and beautiful places in the world.


The Banff Centre: Inspiring Creativity. 2007. 11 Feb. 2008.
http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/festivals/2007/.

Messiah Seen in a Potato Chip (Week 3 Reading Assignment #3)

In the cartoon titled “Potato Chip that Looks Like the Messiah,” Eric Allie, the artist that drew the cartoon, has portrayed an oddity of popular political culture, and is playing off that oddity, making a parody of it. The cartoon shows an apparent news anchorman reading a piece of paper, in a little bubble box the news anchorman says, “Reports of a potato chip that resembled the messiah sparked a media frenzy today.” Then in another bubble just below the first it says, “But upon further inspection the chip looked nothing like Mr. Obama.”

This cartoon is alluding to the strange phenomena that seems to be following Mr. Obama, one of the Presidential Candidates vying for the American Presidency, around as he travels the country attending political rallies and debates. Washington correspondent Geoff Elliott was quoted in The Australian, saying that, “… Obama is part politician, part cult,” according to obamamessiah.blogspot.com.

In the cartoon drawn by artist Eric Allie, this phenomena is being portrayed in the same light as people that sometimes claim to see revelations in the clouds or messages from god in their breakfast cereal. More or less, the artist is attempting to make fun of the “messiah-like” persona that Mr. Obama seems to have taken on within the minds of many of his biggest supporters. The message of the cartoon does not seem to be slanted toward one side of an argument or another, it seems instead to be poking fun at the phenomena as a whole.


Eric Allie. “Potato chip that looks like the messiah-color.” CagleCartoons. 5 Feb. 2008. 11 Feb. 2008
http://caglecartoons.com/viewimage.asp?ID={80317C5D-1A3A-427C-B817-2B8F43C6CDB4}


“Is Barack Obama the Messiah.” Blogspot. 11 Feb 2008. http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/

"Buy America" - An American Satire (Week 3 Reading Assignment #2)

According to SFGate, “Mark Fiore is a San Francisco cartoonist and animator whose work also appears in the Washington Post, L.A. Times and other publications. In his animated satire entitled, “Buy America,” Fiore attempts to present the United States of America as a once-fortunate country that is now in the thralls of financial and social unrest. Due to the recent developments in America’s economy, as well as some of the political and military situations that are also linked to the current undertone of unrest that seems to be plaguing the United States the satire is attempting to show, in a light-hearted sort of way, some of the problems that America is facing in modern times. The Satire begins with a reference to, “Buy American,” having been replaced with, “Buy America.” This in itself is a play on words that would possibly enrage some patriots of the United States, and if they were to respond they would probably do so with a very patriotic and down to earth analysis of the finances and statistics of the United States. However, given the ideals that were a piece of the foundation of American thought, such as Freedom of Speech, this satire is completely within the rights of an American to publish and make their voice known. That is in essence the very foundation of what makes the United States a wonderful place to live.

Before someone can answer a question as to whether or not this satire was successful, one would have to first asses what message exactly was meant to be conveyed. If one goes with the broad generalization that Fiore was trying to present the United States as a once-fortunate country that is now in the thralls of financial and social unrest, then yes, Fiore coveyed this message in a very unique way and was successful in doing so. At the same time, the message was very one-sided and anyone seeing this message would have to assume that there is always another side to every story, so was Fiore successful if his attempt was to actually change one’s opinion of the current financial and social state of America, probably not.

None the less, the satire, “Buy America,” was entertaining and well put together. The specific areas that Fiore used to mock the united states include unemployment, recession, credit cards, and the economy as a whole. His opinions are entertaining but not informative enough to completely sway someone’s opinion toward his own.

Mark Fiore. “Buy America.” SFGate. 23 Jan. 2008. 11 Feb. 2008.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2008/01/23/fiorebuyamer.DTL

"Shitty First Drafts" - A Review (Week 3 Reading Assignment #1)

In Anne Lamott’s essay, “Shitty First Drafts,” taken from her book Bird by Bird, Lamott talks about the idea of writing the first draft of a paper and not worrying about what structure or coherent ideas come forth, instead she talks about just letting the words flow. This process is strongly associated to the idea of Stream of Consciousness as it is referred to in the realm of Psychology, where Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, defines the term as, “… [Stream of Consciousness] refers to the flow of thoughts in the conscious mind.” According to Wikipedia William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher was given credit for developing this concept.

Lamott approaches the subject of writing the first draft of a paper with a very informal point of view; this informal style helps to reinforce the very idea of writing an informal first draft. This form of drafting is a very useful tool when the idea of writing a large paper seems overwhelming as one begins the process. The suggestions that she gives are useful and will be integrated into the writing process of many of the students in this class. As stated earlier, it can be difficult to begin writing a paper when the task at hand seems so large and daunting, this technique of letting one’s thoughts just flow is a great way to get over the first hurdle and begin on the path to writing a beautiful and well thought-out paper. There is nothing more satisfying than to read something that you have written and be taken into the flow and the natural harmony of the words as they seem to move the reader through the paper like a poem.

Stream of Consciousness (psychology). Wikipedia. 28 Nov. 2007. 11 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream_of_consciousness_(psychology).

Lamott, Anne. "Shitty First Drafts.” Language Awareness: Readings for College
Writers. Ed. by Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark. 9th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2005. 93-96. http://wserver.crc.losrios.edu/~morales/Readings/Lamott,%20Anne%20-%20Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf.

"The International Year of the Reef" - "Reefer Sadness" Rewritten for XC

2008 is the International Year of the Reef; coral reefs that is, and there will be a large amount of discussion and research given to these beautiful and diverse underwater environments this year because they are being directly affected by the effects of global warming. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) says that, “…warming seas and increased hurricanes affected more than half of Caribbean coral reefs in 2005.” Although this is an alarming fact, even more disturbing is the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) claim that, “In one year alone, sixteen percent of the world’s coral reefs were wiped out.” The NWF goes on to say that, “A sea temperature change of a mere one degree Celsius would yield similar losses. Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the water cause damage to corals, leaving them defenseless against storm damage and erosion.”
It is imperative that during this International Year of the Reef we as a technologically advanced and earth-sensitive society learn more about the coral reefs and how to prevent their annihilation.

“Coral Reefs and Global Warming.” National Wildlife Federation. 11 Feb. 2008. http://www.nwf.org/coralandglobalwarming/.

“Reefer Sadness.” Grist: Environmental News and Commentary. 25 Jan. 2008. 11 Feb. 2008 http://www.grist.org/news/2008/01/25/reef/index.html.

"Reefer Sadness" - A Review

In a recent article titled "Reefer Sadness," published on grist.org, the author has quoted scientists from the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as saying, "...warming seas and increased hurricanes affected more than half of Caribbean coral reefs in 2005..." This thesis statement written near the beginning of the article goes on to say that this is "... a devastation likely to become a regular event." Unfortunately nowhere in the article does the author present any evidence as to a pattern for this type of destruction taking place within the oceans of the earth, nor does the author clearly state what percentage of the world's total reefs were affected.

It is apparent that the author was gearing the article toward an uneducated audience by using a shock and awe strategy to engage readers that would be interested not in the scientific facts or validity of the argument, but instead in the misnomer of "Reefer Sadness" alluding to the subject of drugs instead of the underwater phenomenon that is being discussed within the article. All in all the opening of the article does draw the readers attention, however it has to be questioned whether the strategy used to draw in the reader is appropriate for the context of the argument being presented. Furthermore, there is not enough evidence or factual information being presented for this article to fully inform the reader of the subject being discussed. The author needs to go back into the article and expound upon the evidence that supports the claims being made.