The year 2025 was designated by the United Nations as “The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.” However, recent findings by a climate researcher in northern B.C. reveal that last year witnessed the second highest level of glacier loss in western Canada on record. Brian Menounos, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia and the chief scientist at the Airborne Coastal Observatory of the Hakai Institute, emphasized that glaciers are rapidly disappearing beyond previous projections.
Menounos estimated that approximately 30 gigatonnes of glacial ice were lost in the region in the past year, with each gigatonne representing a cubic kilometer of water, equivalent to the entire volume of B.C.’s Okanagan Lake. The primary driver of this accelerated glacier loss is attributed to warmer temperatures, largely fueled by increasing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel consumption.
Menounos, alongside an international research team, has been monitoring global glacial health utilizing satellite and aircraft observations, as well as on-site ice sampling. Their published study from last summer highlighted unprecedented ice depletion in Western Canada, the Conterminous U.S., and Switzerland between 2021-2024. Another peer-reviewed study published in Nature in February warned about the escalating global glacier loss trend.
The impact of warmer conditions causing snow grains to become larger, optically darker, and less reflective leads to a feedback loop intensifying glacial melt. Mark Ednie, a glaciologist with the Geological Survey of Canada, emphasized the widespread consensus on the ongoing glacial decline, noting the detrimental effects on the environment and economy.
Glacial melting in B.C., home to around 17,000 glaciers, affects river levels critical for fish populations and hydroelectric power generation. The issue of climate change and glacier loss remains a complex inter-jurisdictional challenge for governments at both federal and provincial levels, with commitments to combatting climate change while maintaining economic growth.
Despite government pledges to address emissions and economic growth simultaneously, recent collaborations have seen the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructures, raising concerns among researchers like Menounos about the trade-offs between economic prosperity and environmental sustainability. The reliance on fossil fuels, though historically vital for developed nations like Canada, comes with significant environmental costs.