Three B.C. glaciers face extinction within decades due to climate change, study says

Three glaciers in British Columbia are at risk of vanishing within the next few decades, according to a new study. Whistler Glacier, one of the three, could disappear completely in as little as 10 years, having already shrunk by 95% over the past 5 decades. Horstman and Blackcomb glaciers have lost up to 75% of their area in the same period, with their survival now threatened within the next few decades.

Lead researcher Chloé Monty explains that the shrinkage is a result of years of inaction on climate change, and while there's nothing to save the three B.C. glaciers, it's not yet too late to prevent other larger glaciers from melting away. Prevention of carbon emissions is key to saving the larger glaciers, as glaciers respond slowly to climate change.

Monty notes that once glaciers fall below certain thresholds, they could be classified as "ice patches." Whistler and Horstman glaciers were once popular summer skiing locations but have since stopped hosting such activities due to shrinking ice. The resort industry is adapting by developing new summer activities, and Monty emphasizes that this study serves as a warning of what could happen if climate change mitigation steps are not taken.