Glacier National Park losing it's namesake

[jaybo41]

Saw this tonight on NBC Nightly News and was amazed and a bit taken back. Once there were 150 Glaciers in Glacier National Park and we are down to 25.

 

[JackM]

That's it? The commercial was longer than the "news" piece. I assume greater detail on that is available in print media. I suspect a few good years of rain and snow and cooler temps will bring them back. Right now, I can't see any way to preserve them. Shading, perhaps?

 

[jaybo41]

Yep, that was it...it was the nightly news, and not a documentary afterall. I just found it interesting and thought I'd share.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

Basically, it is a direct result of global warming. Lots of talk of long and short term cycles, but how many years ago were the glaciers formed? I'm no geologist, but I think it was about 20,000. That's getting to be a fairly long warming cycle IMO.

 

[pcray1231]

The glaciers have been generally retreating since the last glaciation (termed ice age in the media, though thats technically wrong since we are currently in an ice age). There've been many shorter term trends in that long term trend, speed ups, slow downs, reversals, etc. Currently, the short term trend is a faster than average retreat, quite a bit faster actually. Human induced global warming is probably to blame for this recent acceleration of the glacial retreat, but it can't be blamed for the slower long term trend.

 

[jayL]

You filthy liberal socialist fascist lemming. Human induced global warming? Insane! I don't know anything about science, but the idiot box told me you're full of it and hate freedom!!!!!11!!1one!1