Video: Earth is Our Home

We'll end this week with this wonderful video which remind us that the Earth is our home, and we need to take care of it. This short clip comes just as the U.N. Climate Summit in Paris starts to wrap up, with many participatory nations pledging to address global warming at long last. There is a lot of work to be done in this area, but if we're going save our home, we need to get started now. Take a look at this video, and realize what we have at stake.

New Report Indicates Glaciers on Everest Have Shrunk 28% in 40 Years

A new report has confirmed something that most of us have known for sometime. According to a new study conducted by the Chinese Academy of Science, the glaciers on Mt. Everest have shrunk by more than 28% over the past 40 years, with the majority of that shrinkage coming since the 1980's.

The report, which was released a few days back, places the blame squarely on climate change. The study indicates that Everest has been getting warmer for the past 50 years, but that increase in temperature has started to occur more rapidly in recent decades.

The glaciers that surround Everest are a major source of water throughout Asia, and as they have shrunk in size, the glacial lakes found throughout the region, as well as the rivers that they feed, have swelled. Researchers found one lake in Tibet's Mt. Everest nature preserve grew from 100 sq. km (62 sq. miles) in the 1990's, to 114 sq. km (70 sq. miles) in 2013.

As the melting continues, it could have major consequences throughout Asia. In the short term, flooding could become more of an issue, with increased erosion causing damage to the surrounding countryside, to to mention threatening villages and people living along the banks of the many streams and rivers that find their source in the more than 1400 glaciers that are found throughout the region. But in the long term, the loss of the glaciers will ultimately lead to less water, which could have dire consequences for farmers and for those who rely on power generated by hydro sources.

Another report that was released earlier in the year indicated that of the 5500 glaciers that fall across the Hindu Kush and Himalaya region, most could lose 70%-99% of their mass by the year 2100. The impact that those changes would have on the region would be devastating.

Climate change is real, its impacting our planet, and the consequences it holds for our future are frightening. It doesn't matter who or what is causing it, we need to take steps now to try to first slow its advances, and then eventually reverse its impact. That isn't going to be easy, but if we intend to leave the Earth for future generations to explore as well, it is a necessity.

Melting: Last Race to the Pole

On Wednesday of this week Animal Planet will air an amazing documentary that will certainly be of interest to regular readers of The Adventure Blog. The show, which is entitled Melting: Last Race to the Pole, follows Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters on their incredibly difficult expedition to the North Pole, which we followed very closely back in 2014. The duo spent weeks out on the frozen pack ice as they struggled to travel nearly 500 miles from Cape Discovery, Canada to 90�N, the Geographic North Pole.

The documentary is both an ode to their amazing effort in the Arctic, as well as a discussion point for climate change. As our planet has warmed, the trek to the North Pole has become increasingly more difficult to complete. So much so, that there are many who feel that Eric and Ryan's journey could be the last successful full-distance North Pole expedition to be completed by man � something that I tend to believe as well.

The two-hour film shows the struggles that the two men faced as they lugged 320-pound (145 kg) sleds filled with gear and supplies for their unassisted, unsupported trek to the Pole. The terrain was incredibly difficult, the weather was wild and unpredictable, and the conditions were constantly dangerous. And to add to the challenge, the two explorers were also racing the clock as they hoped to set a new record on their way to the top of the world. If you have been reading this blog for a few years, you probably already know if they made it or not. But if you'll be watching the television show completely unaware of the story, I won't spoil it for you.

You can also get a sneak peek of the show in the video below, which gives you just a hint of what it was like to be out on the ice for days on end. This will certainly be an interesting documentary to watch unfold, and I hope everyone gets the chance to see it.

Climate Change: 2015 to be Warmest Year on Record

As world leaders gather in France to talk about climate change, the impact it is having on our planet, and what can be done about it, we received sobering news a few days back when it was reported that 2015 is on track to be the warmest year on record.

According to the World Meteorological Organization data collected through the end of October shows that the Earth is on course for the warmest 12 month period since researchers first began keeping records more than 135 years ago. Worse yet, studies also say that the period from 2011-2015 is the warmest ever recorded as well, which shows that this is an ongoing trend.

When compared to historical records that date back to 1880, it appears that on a global level we are now averaging temperatures that are approximately 1�C warmer than they were back then. That might not seem like a lot, but it is enough to begin shifting global weather patterns, melting ice caps, and causing ocean levels to rise.

The increasing temperatures for 2015 are blamed on the continued emission of "greenhouse gases" such as carbon dioxide, and a strong El Ni�o, which is still ramping up in the Pacific. The so called Godzilla El Ni�o is expected to impact weather patterns world wide, causing ocean temperatures to rise, and creating major storms in North America. Meanwhile, just about every corner of the globe has recorded its warmest year ever, with the trend of increased temperatures looking to continue.

All of this does not bode well for our planet, nor the outdoor spaces that we all love so much. If the trend continues, those snowcapped peaks that we enjoy climbing could become a thing of the past, and we already know that most of the world's glaciers are in a full retreat. So, while the world's leaders look for solutions to this problem, we should be doing the same. Think about the things you can do in your life, or around your house, that could make a difference. Every little bit counts, and climate change is something that is going to have an impact on all of us, sooner or later.