ClimateEdict #5: Swiss Glacier Retreat, Pacific Upwelling Risks, UN Climate Impact Report, and Midwest Heat

 

Opening Reflection

One of the most important ideas I have come across is compounding. Small actions done repeatedly build into large outcomes over time. This applies just as much to climate as it does to finance. A single choice on emissions or land use may seem insignificant, but repeated across years and societies, it defines the path of ecosystems and people. That is the reason I started writing ClimateEdict. The goal is to turn scattered information into awareness that grows, so more people can see how these changes connect and why they matter.

Swiss Glaciers Shrinking at Record Pace

Swiss glaciers are shrinking fast. The circles show glacier size, and the colors show how much ice is being lost each year — darker red means faster melting. Almost all glaciers are now in decline.

New monitoring results from the Swiss Academy of Sciences show that glaciers in Switzerland lost about 5% of their total volume in 2025 alone, the second-worst year after 2022. Since 2000, the Alps have already lost more than a third of their ice.

Glaciers are not just scenery. They are natural water towers, feeding rivers like the Rhine, Rhône, and Po, which supply drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower to millions of people. As glaciers shrink, these rivers face lower summer flows, which disrupt farming, drinking supplies, and energy security downstream.

The main drivers are back-to-back European heatwaves and winters with little snowfall, which leaves glaciers unprotected when spring melt begins. Research in The Cryosphere shows the Alps are warming at about twice the global average. That means each hot summer compounds the damage.

For me, this story is about speed. Ice that took centuries to form is vanishing within a few decades, reshaping Europe’s environment and economy at a pace that people struggle to keep up with.

Sources: Guardian, Reuters

Pacific Upwelling at Risk

A recent study in Nature Climate Change warns that the Pacific upwelling system is becoming less reliable. Upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich waters to the surface, supporting fisheries that feed hundreds of millions of people.

The study found that changing wind patterns and ocean warming are disrupting this cycle, especially along the coasts of Peru and California. If these changes continue, the result would be less plankton growth, lower fish stocks, and major stress on communities that rely on traditional fishing.

From studying Environmental Management and ESS, I know how crucial upwelling is. Without it, fish migrate elsewhere, biodiversity drops, and local fishermen lose their livelihoods. This isn’t just about species numbers, it is about families and economies.

When I read this, I am reminded of how fragile the links are between physics, biology, and people. Alter the wind, warm the ocean slightly, and an entire chain of life is thrown off balance.

Source: Nature Climate Change

UN Climate Impact Report

The UN released its latest Climate Impact Assessment in September. The report stresses that rising temperatures are pushing more regions past thresholds for human health, agriculture, and infrastructure. It projects that by the 2030s, over 500 million people could be exposed annually to extreme heat that surpasses safe working conditions.

The report also highlights growing risks of simultaneous disasters. For example, heatwaves and droughts in one region while floods strike another. These combined pressures strain governments and markets, reducing the capacity to respond.

I think the real value of reports like this is clarity. People often hear numbers about emissions, but they rarely see what those mean in practice. A document like this visualizes the risks and shows they are not distant. They are unfolding now, and they involve real communities. At the same time, it sets clear goals: cut emissions sharply, invest in adaptation, and strengthen monitoring systems.

It is sobering to read, but it also makes the challenge concrete. Without awareness, it is too easy to treat climate breakdown as background noise.

Source: UN Press Release

Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more dangerous worldwide. The charts (top) show rising trends in heatwave days, exposure, season length, and intensity since 2000. The maps (bottom) highlight where these impacts are most severe, with low- and middle-income regions facing the biggest risks.

Midwest Heat Pushes Boundaries

The US Midwest has faced a string of late-summer heatwaves that broke temperature records across Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Reports from NOAA confirm multiple days above 40°C (104°F), with nighttime lows staying dangerously high. These conditions have damaged corn and soybean crops and increased hospital visits for heat-related illness.

What strikes me most is that the Midwest has always been seen as relatively safe compared to coastal areas. Yet now, even inland agricultural regions are hitting conditions that test human health and strain water supplies.

From my studies, I know weather shifts like these are not random. They are connected to global warming patterns, from changes in jet streams to soil moisture feedback. When fields dry out, they stop cooling the air through evaporation, which makes heatwaves even more intense.

Seeing regions built around agriculture falter under these temperatures shows how climate change is not limited to coastlines or islands. It is coming for food systems in the heart of continents.

Source: NOAA

Coming Up

In the coming week, there are three events worth tracking:

• The European Parliament’s vote on expanding carbon border taxes, which could reshape global trade.

• New NOAA data on Atlantic hurricane activity, important for understanding storm intensity this season.

• Announcements from Pacific Island governments on coastal defense strategies.

ClimateEdict exists to follow how science, policy, and events intersect, and to show why those connections matter. Whether it is glaciers in Switzerland, fisheries in the Pacific, or crops in the Midwest, these stories are linked by the same truth: change is accelerating, and the longer we delay awareness and action, the steeper the climb becomes.