"One thing I've learnt is that as human beings, we are inseparable from our glaciers. Every individual will be affected by glacier shrinkage or loss in coming years... what we are witnessing now is unprecedented in Earth's history, not just human history, and it has largely happened during the last century. Whatever your view of the role of fossil fuels in maintaining economic prosperity, the greatest loser in this game will be humankind." Jemma Wadham, professor of glaciology at the University of Bristol, U.K., offers a stunning glimpse into a life studying glaciers all around the world.
Ice Rivers provides a striking close-up of the glacial landscapes of Greenland, Peru, Patagonia, India, Antarctica and more, showing readers not only what glaciers look and feel like up close, and their vulnerability, but also how they work, what lies beneath them, and how they have affected--and continue to impact--the planet. Wadham puts glacial melt into both geological and contemporary contexts, relating their decline today to past growth and contraction, and detailing their impact on the communities local to them, which now are at risk from water shortages, toxicity and changed climate. Wadham skillfully explains concepts that are almost too big and vast to understand, like the ice sheets themselves, while being brutally honest about impending risks without losing hope. Wadham writes with optimism that humanity might be motivated to take action--not just for the preservation of the glaciers, but for ourselves. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer