Venezuela loses its last glacier as it shrinks down to an ice field

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Guardian or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Venezuela has officially lost its last glacier, the Humboldt Glacier, which has now been reclassified as an ice field due to significant shrinkage
• This marks Venezuela as the first country in modern times to lose all its glaciers, a concerning environmental milestone

🔭 The context: Previously, Venezuela hosted six glaciers in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida
•  By 2011, five had disappeared, leaving only the Humboldt Glacier. Recent assessments reveal that it has diminished to less than 2 hectares, accelerating its demise unexpectedly

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The complete loss of glaciers in Venezuela highlights the drastic impacts of climate change at tropical latitudes
• This phenomenon serves as a precursor to similar expected outcomes in other countries with tropical glaciers, underscoring the urgent need for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies

⏭️ What's next: Experts predict that other countries like Indonesia, Mexico, and Slovenia may soon face similar fates
• The situation calls for increased focus on studying and mitigating the broader impacts of glacier retreat on ecosystems and human communities

💬 One quote: “This is an extremely sad record for our country, but also a unique moment in our history,” said Luis Daniel Llambi, an ecologist.

📈 One stat: The Humboldt Glacier shrank from 4 hectares in 2019 to less than 2 hectares by December 2023.

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