The Tragedy of the Alps’ Disappearing Glaciers for Those That Live, Visit and Ski There

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of climate change on the Alps' glaciers and the surrounding communities, featuring insights from experts in environmental science and alpine culture.

Some 2,500 huts dot the landscape across the Alps. For more than two centuries, hikers and climbers have sought out these refuges as they’ve navigated the snowy, high elevations. But the mountain glaciers that have defined this region are melting, putting these huts, the entire culture of alpine hiking, and nearby towns and communities in danger. Avalanches, rockfalls, mudslides and flooding—brought on by a changing climate—are happening at a time when the Alps are more popular than ever. And the subject of an altered alpine habitat takes on additional importance amid the Winter Olympics in Italy. In this episode, we speak with Smithsonian magazine’s Megan Gambino, who edited a story on this topic , and environmental scientist Markus Stoffel, who studies how climate change is impacting higher elevations. Both are skiing enthusiasts, so the issue is personal to them as well. To subscribe to “There’s More to That,” and to listen to past episodes about the growing concerns around human-made objects in orbit hurtling back toward Earth , the vast fleet of shipwrecks at the bottoms of the Great Lakes and the L.A. wildfires as viewed through the eyes of two photographers , find us on…

People in this episode

Guests: Megan Gambino, Markus Stoffel

Topics covered

• climate change
• glacier melting
• alpine culture
• hiking
• environmental science
• skiing

Keywords

• Alps
• glaciers
• climate change
• hiking
• skiing
• environmental science
• Winter Olympics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smithsonian magazine, PRX Productions

Places: Alps

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