Eco ChurcH
Eco Blog by Chris Marshall
(Member of our church)
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A couple of weeks ago I attended a talk by Prof Ivan Haigh from the School of Ocean and Earth Science, based at the Southampton National Oceanography Centre. It is a paradox that whilst we have just had our driest spring for over 50 years, he was explaining that we are also facing real challenges from sea level rises and about the impacts this is having on both coastal and inland regions across the globe.
Ivan spoke about the rapid melting of glaciers across the world and named Iceland’s Okjokull Glacier as an example, which officially lost its glacier status and was declared dead in 2014. It is the first glacier known to be lost to climate change anywhere in the world and in 2019 a memorial was held and a plaque placed at the now lake to highlight the importance of these vast living landscapes. These bodies of ice are the largest reserves of freshwater on the planet and are a vital resource for many a community. However, their melting disrupts water cycles threatening freshwater ecosystems and agriculture and increases the risks of glacial lake overspill, flooding and avalanches in inland regions whilst sea level rise, coastal erosion, habitat and biodiversity loss are being felt keenly in coastal areas.
Whilst in Patagonia I saw firsthand the devastation melting glaciers are having on local communities, that have survived for hundreds of years, dependant on glacial lakes for their freshwater and source of food and income. Most of us may have visions of melting glaciers releasing crystal clear waters into rich clear bodies of water below, but this is not always the case. Where a glacier rapidly melts they also bring down vast amounts of rock and debris and this sediment settles in the water smothering any vegetation on the lake bed, blocks out light and eventually causes all plant life to die. The water therefore becomes deprived of oxygen decimating fish and mussel stocks which the local community has relied on for their very survival.
Freshwater is such a precious resource, vital to almost every living organism on the planet. As we possibly face restrictions this summer try to think about our own water usage. Suggestions include
• Turn off the tap whilst cleaning your teeth
• Shower rather than have a bath
• Collect the cold run off from hot taps to use to water
plants/ garden/ bird baths
• Put out extra buckets or containers to collect rain water
• Reduce the frequency you wash clothing / towels / bedding
• Fix any water drips, leaks, overflows.
Blessings​
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