Glaciers On The Endangered List?

Sometimes back, we were traveling to the scenic community of Whistler, British Columbia and I was taken away by the beauty of our very closest neighbor…Canada. As a person who originally came to the beautiful NW from the flat surface of the Mid-South, many of my closest friends including myself have never stood next a real glacier. And you know what? This trip would connect me to a long-time wish on my bucket list. Let me explain. You see, I really enjoy mountains. Especially the big ones that have snow caps all year around. Viewing snow covered mountains on a hot summer day in August was really something special for me. Naturally being a photo bug, I was anxious to snap a few pictures of our trip. Then the wife suggested, “Let’s take a ride up to the very top of the mountain on the gondola lift.” Heck, I didn’t need much encouragement for that. After all, I just purchased some new Eddie Bauer hiking sandals and I was ready to test their durability.

As we boarded the tram to get an elevated view of the scenic area, I was in awe of the beauty of mother nature. The air was so crisp that you could feel the altitude change. Plus, several deer were running around beneath our ascent to the top. It was simply mindboggling what you could view from that elevation. Within moments we were so high in the sky that we were positioned above an aircraft that was flying in the area. I told the wife, “Look at this, I’m actually pointing my camera lens downward to get a photo of a plane flying beneath us.”

At this elevation, the air stays cool all year around. So cool, the snow hadn’t melted from last year. Or, maybe it was from the previous year. Who knows? At that moment, I stopped to think about the effects of the lingering snow. You know, maybe this snow might still be here from years gone by. Suddenly, that’s when I realized I was looking at one of nature’s greatest marvels, a glacier. 

Truth is, here I am looking at this glacier and it’s probably older than me. Maybe thousands of years old. And like myself and the creatures around me, it’s time on this earth is always being challenged by constant climate change. When I’m gone, well, I hope I will be missed. But when this glacier is gone, all animals, tree forage and humans will miss its water that runs down streams and rivers supplying fresh water from rainfall, snow cover and glacier melt. This glacier provides life for many of the living things that surround it while much depends upon its frequent nourishment.

But what would threaten this glaciers longevity? The answer is right there in front of our faces. Climate change. Believe me, the earth’s atmosphere is thick with the results of dirty air caused by too much carbon dioxide trapped in the atmosphere. That's the results of the burning of carbon-based fuels like those found in oil products and coal. Thus, causing the blocking of proper balance of the sun and the earth’s temperature to rise as a result.

Now hold-on a minute, I’m not trying to preach you a sermon. Much less, sound like Al Gore. Although Gore might have invented the internet, but he didn’t create the many years of the burning of fossil fuels. Don’t blame me either. Look, I’m just a blogger and photographer. I’m trying to do my part by sharing this posting. But everybody should do theirs by delivering this same message. Truth is, the clock is ticking and our next generation’s livelihood depends upon the sharing of this knowledge. We should take care of this planet now because the next time I visit British Columbia and view this glacier, I want the snow pack to still be there.

Phillip Rauls 

Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Forgerty

John Forgerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival were the hottest band in America in the late 1960's & early 70's. The success of the Bay Area rock band was simply mind boggling and literally put Fantasy Records on the map. Read about the band and view many great photos of early days of rock music in the new book "The Rock Trenches" by former record executive and photographer Phillip Rauls. Book is available in both Kindle or paperback online at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com.