Glaciers don’t rush. Or at least they didn’t used to. During the last Ice Age, glaciers shaped our landscape while crawling, on average, but a few centimetres a day.
Today, we’re in an interglacial period (the Holocene)—and though “inter” suggests these ice sheets might someday return, many of those remaining are in rapid retreat. While prehistoric glacial subsidence was a multi-millennial process, scientists and explorers of today are documenting startling rates of glacial shift and collapse.
icebreaker and Protect Our Winters (POW) have just introduced Glacier Footprints, a multimedia project that sheds light on the impact of glacier retreat on ecosystems, communities and merino wool producers worldwide through a scientific white paper, documentary and a capsule collection.
Comprised of merino baselayers for men and women, the new collection features drone imagery of Switzerland’s melting Gorner Glacier on each piece.
The documentary, Downstream, showcases personal stories from affected communities, while the white paper provides scientific insights to support these narratives.
Glaciers store about 75 percent of the world’s freshwater. They’re crucial not only for alpine biodiversity and watersheds but also for sports such as skiing, snowboarding and ice climbing. As glaciers worldwide continue to shrink due to climate change, ecosystems and human livelihoods are under threat.
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The white paper examines the Rhône River in Europe and the impact of shrinking glaciers on communities, the Columbia River in the U.S. and the impact on biodiversity and the Waitaki River in New Zealand and the impact on merino growers and their land.
“We cannot recreate these glaciers and ecosystems if they become extinct.”
“In collaborating with POW, our goal is not only to bring awareness of Glacier Footprints, but to show the world nature is our only solution,” says Jordi Beneyto Ferre, Director of Materials and Innovation at icebreaker. “We cannot recreate these glaciers and ecosystems if they become extinct.”
The icebreaker and POW partnership is a testament to their commitment to preserving the places where their customers and communities love to adventure.
Through this partnership, icebreaker is not only supporting research about the effects of glacier loss on downstream communities and biodiversity, but also exploring how regenerative agriculture can mitigate climate change, strengthening soil and water resilience.
Take action to protect our climate by donating to POW here.
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