The Ice Glaciers are Melting and California Needs to Take Action
(1) It is estimated that by 2100, 83 percent of Global Ice Glaciers will have melted (The Washington Post).
(2) Ice Glaciers are composites of snowfall that have thickened and contracted into solid ice deposits. These masses form when the “accumulation of snow exceeds ablation,” a century long process that only occurs under highly specific conditions.
Glaciers are (3) composed of three parts: The Zone of Accumulation, The Equilibrium Line, and the Ablation Zone. The Ablation Zone is the lowest point of the glacier and is responsible for glacier melt. Since glaciers only thrive in climates which allow snow and ice to accumulate at a faster pace than the pace at which snow and ice melt, glaciers are primarily found in areas of high latitude or high elevation.
Glaciers are a finite resource. (4) Earth is losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice each year, and it is simply impossible to manufacture more Glacier ice (The Washington Post).
Glacier melt is the only source of naturally occurring freshwater on Earth. Ice glaciers melt at a natural pace to provide Earth’s freshwater. (5) According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, in the 1980’s the Earth’s glacier melt pace was -228 millimeters per year — this nearly doubled by 1990 when glacier melt pace reached -443 millimeters per year. This figure continued to escalate linearly, and in 2018 the pace of glacier loss was recorded to be at a high of -921 millimeters (3 feet).
(5) A radical increase of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere raised global temperatures following the Industrial Revolution. As a result, glacier melt pace increased. The exponential increase in these gas emissions caused glaciers to melt, calve, and retreat on land rapidly. Ice calving is a form of glacier disruption in which a portion of a glacier will violently and suddenly release from a glacier, iceberg, ice sheet, or ice front. In the past two decades glacier melt has been further exacerbated due to inadequate disposal of human waste, carbon emissions in the environment, and an overall increase in Earth’s global temperature.
The 2020 Annual Climate Report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report revealed Earth’s overall temperature has increased at an average rate of .08 Celsius per decade since 1880. However, this statistic may be misleading as according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S.A., global temperatures have increased by approximately 1.5 Celsius since 2000. This global increase in climate temperature greatly (6) affects the Ice Glaciers and in turn global water resources available to humans. The German Aerospace Center stated that “50 percent of people on Earth may see increased climate change-induced water stress” due to this increase.
Glacial Ice provides freshwater to most human beings, animals, and ecosystems. (7) According to the International Snow and Ice Data Center, Ice Glaciers and Ice Caps contain nearly 70 percent of Earth’s freshwater. “About three-quarters of Earth’s freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the second largest reservoir of water on Earth and the largest reservoir of freshwater on Earth.” Not only are Earth’s living organisms reliant on Glacier Water for drinking, but an unnatural pace of glacier-melt causes sea level to rise. A mislaid increase in sea level subsequently causes an increase in coastal erosion and elevates “storm surge as ocean temperatures create more frequent and intense coastal storms like hurricanes and typhoons” (8) (Berardelli, 2019). In essence, an unsubstantiated rise in sea level will escalate the number and occurrences of natural disasters. Additionally, the white nature of ice sheets helps keep polar regions cool and moderate global climate. (9) These ice sheets reflect sunlight back out into the atmosphere so that solar energy is not absorbed. This protects wildlife dependent on cool environments, marine life that can only thrive in limited temperatures, and human life on Earth. For example, animals such as polar bears, are dependent on Ice Glaciers for their habitat. The rapid melting of these glaciers has caused the species to become endangered. Within the past decade Arctic warming has caused ice sheets to melt twice as fast as normal threatening polar bears’ main (10) prey and the habitat utilized (ice sheets) to raise their young.
Current Glacier Protection Laws
Unfortunately, there is limited legislation regarding glacier protection and conservation. The enactment of Glacier Protection Laws began in Argentina and Chile — countries in which mining initiatives have severely damaged the cryosphere. (11) These countries have discussed the passage of these laws, as mining further accelerated glacier melt in their countries, began to discolor the glaciers, and raised sea level dramatically causing unpredictable weather patterns. The first Glacier Protection Law passed was Argentina’s National Glacier Law, Sanctioned Sept 29, 2010. Article 6 of the Argentinian GPL prohibits activities “which may affect a glacier’s natural condition or functions described in article 1, and those activities which may destruct, move or alter glacier advance.” Further, subsection B of this Article proscribes “the construction of infrastructure except those necessary for scientific research and preventing risks.” This is the first and to this day one of the only pieces of legislation that directly address ice glaciers.
Further, the Act called for an “inventory of Argentina’s glaciers and periglacial features like permafrost,” and scientific studies (conducted by IANIGLA) regarding the impact of human activity on Argentinian Glaciers. With the conclusion of these studies, the Argentinian President hoped to uncover and prohibit unknown human activities that (12) affect glaciers and glacier surrounding. These studies evaluated unknown human activity that (13) affect glaciers such as tourism and kayaking. Activities that were previously known to (14) affect glacier melt, such as mining, were directly and officially prohibited by the law. This GPL took both a restorative and proactive approach to Glacier Protection. In a landmark effort to protect the Glaciers, the Argentinian government barred activities known to humans that directly affect glacial melt and vowed to take steps in learning how to prevent further glacial melt.
Antarctica, home to most global glaciers, addresses glacier protection in a (15) lesser manner. The Antarctic Treaty System prevents the exploitation of glaciers as a resource as well as improper disposal of waste that may affect glacier surroundings. This treaty strictly regulates human waste disposal, nuclear waste disposal, and nuclear testing in the continent. (16) Countries such as the United States and Russia have often utilized the Arctic for nuclear testing and disposal due to the limited human population. This has severely affected the Arctic cryosphere and damaged the sheet environment. The passage of this treaty prohibits this behavior, however, the damage incurred needs to be repaired.
Antarctica is in need of more invasive and probative Glacier Protection Laws. If the Glaciers in West Antarctica were to melt, sea level would rise, and global coastlines would become vulnerable. These Glaciers are in direct contact with the sea and its melt would cause “sea level to rise about 70 meters (230 feet) — the ocean would cover all the coastal cities” (17) (USGS). The Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheets contain more than 99 percent of glacial freshwater — it is these two countries, whose resources are most at risk for being exploited, that need to initiate a United Nation treaty regarding glacial protection.
Regrettably, most Glacier Protection Laws lie in the hands of national parks: which are unequipped with the necessary knowledge and resources to protect the Glaciers. In Canada and Ecuador, countries in which national parks regulate GPL, restrictions regarding glaciers and surrounding areas (such as tourism and Ice Mining) are nearly nonexistent. (18) The United States, despite having several glaciers in Montana, have no Glacier Protection Laws. Glacier National Park in Montana is home to 602 glaciers which feed the Flathead River — this river supplies water for bottled water companies such as Mountain Glacier. Yet, Montana and the United States Federal government have no legislation in place to protect this delicate national treasure.
How to Protect Glacier Water Resources
The increase in Glacier Melt and limited Glacier Protection Laws have already threatened Earth’s long term water supply. (20) According to the USGS, in the United States, only 10 percent of the freshwater supply is used for drinking and cooking. Nearly 80 percent of our freshwater is flushed down the toilet. In fact, United States toilet water is so pure, that an individual could take a cup, collect toilet water, and drink it. Glacier water is a finite resource, yet United States legislators have decided that it is logical to flush 80 percent of this limited resource down the toilet.
Glacier melt is a significant problem. (21) Scientists have proposed the solution utilizing “recycled wastewater for irrigation, landscaping, industry and toilet flushing, is a good way to conserve our freshwater resources” (Columbia Climate School). (22) Water recycling is the process of reclaiming used water and subsequently treating it for the purpose of “irrigation, potable water supplies, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes, and environmental restoration” (Environmental Protection Agency). This system has become so advanced that water reclamation can now be used to create drinking water. In essence, water recycling has offered a clean alternative to glacier water.
(25) Although many are averse to the idea the use of recycled water for drinking water, countries such as Singapore, Australia, and Namibia have begun to implement such measures. The notion of “Toilet to Tap” is misleading, as recycled water undergoes “extensive and thorough purification” and is proven to be cleaner than regular tap water. However, simply replacing the water in toilets with recycled water would be a large step for the United States.
(23) Reclaimed water does not necessarily need to be used as a substitute for drinking water — it can alleviate the clean water issue in a variety of ways. In coastal cities, this purified water can replenish groundwater aquifers and prevent the intrusion of saltwater which occurs when cities over pump their groundwater supply. Over pumping groundwater resources is a significant issue in Southern California which suffers from chronic droughts. Groundwater depletion has several negative effects such as: deterioration of water equality, “reduction of water in streams and lakes, and land subsidence” (24) (USGS Water Science School). In Southern California over pumping often also leads to arsenic contamination of the water supply and aquifer stress. California would greatly benefit from finding alternative means of clean water and delegating groundwater and glacier water in a more effective manner.
California’s Thirst for Groundwater
California’s thirst for groundwater has caused the Central Valley to sink 60 centimeter per year between 2012 and 2016. In a ‘wet year’ 40 percent of the water used in California is groundwater, and during a drought, this number increases by a minimum of 20 percent (Stokstad, 2020). These rates of groundwater extraction are simply unsustainable. Why is California so reliant on pure water, either from the ground or from glaciers, when nearly 80 percent of the water is ‘flushed down the toilet.’
(27) California should act as a vanguard state and lead the way in enacting a national law in the U.S. regarding the glaciers. After testing the waters in California, the United States should eventually develop an international treaty specifically and solely addressing glacier protection and the clean water problem. The first step California must take is passing Glacier Protection Legislation that regulates how glacier water is used in the state. Glacier water does not need to be used for services in which recycled water could be used and individuals would not notice the difference. For example, glacier water should not be used for filling toilets and watering vegetation. (28) No one living in California should have a reason to take a cup, fill it with toilet water, and drink it. Further, an individual’s lawn does not need to be water via glacier or groundwater. Legislation regarding glacier water use should then be used as a template for other states when they choose to adopt Glacier Protection Laws.
(29) California should also pass more restrictive regulations regarding groundwater pumping. In 2014 California legislators passed Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). SGMA compels governments and water companies with “high and medium priority basins to halt overdraft and bring groundwater basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge.” In essence setting boundaries regarding how much groundwater can be pumped and how full an aquifer must be at all times. However, this legislation relies on local oversight for enforcement, and is not restrictive. California needs to implement more stringent legislation regarding groundwater pumping — especially during drought season. Naturally occurring fresh water is a luxury, and individuals residing in the United States need to recognize this.
While California should be a vanguard state in relieving the glacial water issue, there are other means that (31) can help alleviate the issue. On a micro scale, individuals can contribute by buying energy efficient machines, using paper bags instead of plastic bags, and turning off the water when shampooing hair or brushing teeth. On a meta scale, humans would need to reduce carbon emissions in the environment by 45 percent by 2055 and create dams that would help prevent the fast flow of glacial melt. Arizona researchers have also begun developing a mechanism that would ‘create more ice.’ “Their proposal consists of collecting ice from below the glacier through pumps driven by wind power to spread it over the upper ice caps; (Arizona State University)” in essence taking melted glacier water from the Zone of Ablation and returning it to the top of the glacier as snow before it flows always with the glacial melt current.
California can help alleviate the Glacier problem by acting as an archetype state in the way in which it uses glacial water. We do not need to participate in “Toilet to Tap” if our Toilet water was simply recycled water.
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