Glaciers are breathtaking — towering, shimmering blue-white giants that seem timeless and unmovable. But according to a new study, many of these icy giants are rapidly disappearing, and the landscape they leave behind is beginning to resemble "Swiss cheese."

"We have to start preparing and adapting," warned Brian Menounos, a glaciologist with the University of Northern British Columbia, according to Pique Newsmagazine.

What's happening?

Since pre-industrial times, the Earth has warmed about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit). That might sound small, but this slight increase is enough to melt vast stores of year-round ice. A study published in Science found that if temperatures rise just a little more — to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) — about 81% of glacier mass in Western Canada and the U.S. could disappear.

Using advanced computer models, researchers projected glacier evolution under different warming scenarios. Even at today's levels, the planet's on track to lose around 40% of its year-round ice by the end of the century. If global temperatures rise 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100 — a path we're still on — nearly all (98%) of Western Canada's glaciers would be gone.

"Most of the glaciers in Western Canada are doomed to be lost even without additional warming," said lead author Harry Zekollari. "They're relics of the past."

Why is glacial melting concerning?

Glacier loss isn't just an environmental issue — it has very real, immediate consequences for our communities. As these frozen water stores vanish, we can expect higher sea levels and more dangerous storm surges during extreme weather.

Melting ice also disrupts downstream food and water systems, impacting farmers and wildlife alike. It can even accelerate the spread of disease, as warming changes how pathogens survive and move through ecosystems.

While extreme weather events have always existed, scientists agree that human-caused climate change is now supercharging them — making storms stronger, floods more intense, and fires more destructive.

What's being done about it?

To tackle this crisis, many communities and scientists are turning to solutions that increase resilience. Cities are restoring wetlands and forests to buffer floods. Organizations like Trashie are helping reduce waste at scale, and climate-tech innovators are finding ways to capture carbon directly from the air.

There are also everyday steps people can take: use less single-use plastic, support climate-forward policies, and reduce personal energy use.

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