We set off in the morning, down the Serrano River. The sky was grey and the rain felt like little needles on our faces. The mountaintops were hidden in the clouds. The boat driver gave us thick waterproof clothes to wear. They were great. For about ten minutes. We were travelling through one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen, so I didn’t really mind being a bit cold and wet.
We eventually arrived at a part of the glacier that looked majestic up on the mountain. One of the boat drivers told me that 15-20 years ago it reached all the way down to the lake. His comment made me very sad: that little piece of land has been covered by ice for thousands of years, and in only a few years it melted away. Why do I have to be part of the generation that will see it happen?
I remembered how a teacher in school illustrated the history of our planet by unfurling a roll of toilet paper and attach it on the classroom walls. Then he marked the different eras on it. At the very end, hardly visible, there was a very small field, more like a line, that marked how long mankind has been around. Changes on our planet normally happen very slowly. During the last hundred years changes have all of a sudden happened so fast: Temperatures and sea levels rising, draughts, floods and melting icefields - we are actually changing the climate! Just think about it for a little while.
You are really a lucky guy. Looking forward to see some more of your efforts in the future!
Posted by: peter at August 30, 2004 01:50 PM