After the Melt

摘要

In Peru's Cordillera Blanca mountain range, climate change is a part of life. "Huascaran used to be white. Now it is black, with rocks. There is no more ice," says Lucy Ramos Garcia, who lives in the shadow of Huascaran, Peru's largest glacier. The Cordillera Blanca was originally named for its snow-capped peaks, which have long brought tourists and climbers to the region. Now the glaciers are melting at an average rate of about 66 feet per year. Peru has lost more than a fifth of its glacial area since 1970, and some small glaciers could be gone entirely within the next few decades according to a 2009 World Bank report.