The stunning photographs taken by a British couple during their trip have gone viral, showcasing the alarming rate at which glaciers in Switzerland are melting.
During their first visit to the Rhône Glacier in August 2009, Duncan and Helen Porter (British tourists) captured a memorable photo against the backdrop of this breathtaking site.
Nearly 15 years later, the couple returned with their two daughters and took another photo from the same spot, but the scenery was drastically different.
In a post on social media platform X, Porter shared: “It’s true, this change made me cry.” The post, featuring the two photos, garnered over 4.4 million views and more than 9,585 shares.
The photo taken on August 5 shows the massive white ice cap melting, revealing rugged gray rocks and a lake that has formed in front of it. This image highlights part of the climate change crisis, with the stark contrast between the two photos drawing significant attention.
The top photo was taken in August 2009, the bottom photo was taken in early August this year. (Photo: Duncan Porter).
According to Euro News, Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. Average temperatures here have increased by about 2.3 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial era, exceeding the global increase of 1.3 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures driven by fossil fuels are eroding frozen regions, leading to widespread glacier disappearance.
A study by the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) and Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS) published last year revealed that Switzerland has lost about 10% of its glacier mass in just two years, with one-third of the nation’s glacier volume having melted away since 2000.
The Rhône Glacier originates from the Swiss Alps and is one of the main glaciers supplying water to Lake Geneva. (Photo: Patrick Robert Doyle).
Moreover, glaciers in Austria and Italy are also under threat, including the iconic glaciers in the Dolomites.
Earlier studies have concluded that half of the world’s glaciers could disappear by the end of the 21st century, even if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Authors suggest that climate actions can still save the remaining glaciers.
Helen Porter shared with The Guardian that: “Many people feel very helpless witnessing this.”
While the post has drawn attention from many climate change skeptics, Porter stated that he is only focused on “the genuinely kind comments.”
A resident of Bristol, who is a member of a climate action group in the UK, added: “In my experience, there are many things people can do to improve global warming.”