“The retreat and disappearance of glaciers—there are only 160,000 left—means we're burning libraries and damaging the planet, possibly beyond repair. Bit by bit, glacier by glacier, rib by rib, we're living the Fall.”
The quote by Gretel Ehrlich highlights the devastating impact of the retreat and disappearance of glaciers on our planet. By likening glaciers to libraries, Ehrlich conveys the idea that each glacier holds valuable information about our planet's history and ecosystem. The comparison to burning libraries emphasizes the irreversible damage being done to the Earth. Ehrlich's mention of living "the Fall" suggests a parallel to the biblical concept of a paradise lost due to human actions. Overall, this quote serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and protect the planet for future generations.
Gretel Ehrlich's poignant statement about the retreat of glaciers serves as a powerful reminder of the irreversible damage being done to our planet. As these icy giants vanish, they take with them valuable libraries of Earth's history and threaten the very existence of our planet. It is a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and protect our environment before it's too late.
“It's like boxing a glacier. Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is.”
“A glacier will frequently move forward one foot while retreating three feet... Which reminds me a lot of myself!”
“Im a glacier in a sea of idiots”
“It is often said of people with second sight that their soul leaves the body. That doesn't happen to the glacier. But the next time one looks at it, the body has left the glacier, and nothing remains except the soul clad in air... the glacier is illuminated at certain times of the day by a special radiance and stands in a golden glow with a powerful aureole of rays, and everything becomes insignificant except it. Then it's as if the mountain is no longer taking part in the history of geology but has become iconic... A remarkable mountain. At night when the sun is off the mountains the glacier becomes a tranquil silhouette that rests in itself and breathes upon man and beast the word never, which perhaps means always. Come, waft of death.”
“Why don’t you write an anti-glacier book instead?’What he meant, of course, was that there would always be wars, that they were as easy to stop as glaciers. I believe that too.”