#fast receding glaciers

[nohkalikai]

"As an environmentalist, I am very concerned about the fragile and sensitive ecosystem of Ladakh,” said Magsaysay Award-winning educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who recently concluded his 21-day hunger strike in Leh. Popularly known as 'climate fast', Wangchuk had begun observing it on 6 March, demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh.

On the final day of his fast on 26 March, Wangchuk said that the people of Ladakh are trying to awaken the conscience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah so that they take suitable action to safeguard the fragile ecosystem of Himalayan mountains in Ladakh and preserve the unique indigenous tribal culture.

“We don’t like to think of Modi ji and Amit Shah ji as just politicians, we would rather think of them as statesmen but for that, they will have to show some character and farsightedness…” he posted on X.

Wangchuk had become the face of a sustained agitation in the cold desert where people are up in arms against the central government for discarding their concerns regarding land and job rights.

"Every drop of water is important here. Ladakh can't support large numbers. It will make refugees out of locals and even for those who arrive, the situation would not be any good. That's the fear people have regarding the fate of our land and our culture – finely tuned over tens or even thousands of years to survive in these mountains, now at risk of dilution and unable to sustain itself,” he added.

However, this was not the first time that Wangchuk had undertaken a climate fast:

In January 2023, he undertook a five-day climate fast at his institution, the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives (HIAL) in Ladakh at -20 degrees Celsius.

In June 2023, Wangchuk again went on a nine-day climate fast to save "Ladakh’s fragile ecology."

The Ecological Connection to Ladakh’s Demands

Ladakh is a high-altitude desert inhabited by around 3 lakh people. The region is considered ecologically fragile due to its extreme climate conditions, scarce vegetation, and limited water resources. Most people are dependent on agriculture as a means of livelihood.

A separate territory was a long-pending demand of the Ladakhis but they were expecting one with constitutional safeguards – somethingthat was categorically denied by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government earlier this month.

Their land and job rights were taken away with the Abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019, and the region was thrown open to people from other states.

Sensing that New Delhi is not in any mood to extend the Sixth Schedule that would safeguard the region and grant limited autonomy to the tribal region, the engineer-turned-educational reformer had announced a "climate fast” back in 2023 in a bid to turn attention towards the region's delicate ecology.

Speaking to The Quint, Wangchuk said that global warming has been melting glaciers in the Himalayan region where Ladakh is located. He also added that shifting weather patterns are resulting in frequent flash floods, landslides, and droughts that are impacting the lives of people living in the sparsely populated villages of the region.

"We are protesting to safeguard the mountains of the Himalayan region from indiscriminate exploitation and mining which have already wreaked havoc in places like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and even Sikkim. All these activities are now poised to impact Ladakh,” he added.

Wangchuk’s Relentless Efforts To Save Ladakh: The ‘Third Pole’ of the Planet

Lately, the glaciers are receding fast and many sectors in Northern India rely on them.

Wangchuk said that Ladakh, which is home to an extensive glacial system, is known as the "Third pole of the planet." It feeds two billion people directly or indirectly.

"If mining industries are introduced in these areas, not only will the local communities suffer, but the entire Northern Indian plains will face water shortages. Therefore, it is crucial that we safeguard these fragile regions as sacred zones of water,” he said.

"For the local people, it's about protecting their region, customs, culture, and land –all of which are enshrined in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, as our forefathers have established 75 years ago," Wangchuk added.

Back in 2015, Wangchuk had invented the 'Ice Stupa', an artificial glacier created by piping mountain streams to tackle the water crisis in Ladakh which faces water scarcity in April-May – the peak farming season.

Since then, the farmers in Leh have benefitted from such Ice Stupas.

Not only that, in 2021, Wangchuk whose life inspired a character in the Bollywood movie 3 Idiots, developed an eco-friendly solar-heated tent that Army personnel can use in extremely cold places like Siachen and Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region.

How Will the Sixth Schedule Save Ladakh’s Ecology?

For the Sixth Schedule to be applicable, the Constitution mandates that a region's population must consist of at least 50 percent of tribal communities. In Ladakh, around 97 percent of its population are tribals.

Wangchuk asserted that they are trying to do everything possible to safeguard the mountains.

"The Sixth Schedule of Article 244, which gives safeguards to these regions, the people, and their cultures where they can determine how these places should be developed without interference from others,” he said. "This is what Ladakh has been demanding for a long time before it was made into a Union Territory (UT)," he added.

Notably, the Sixth Schedule contains provisions that grant indigenous tribes significant autonomy, enabling the establishment of Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) with legislative and judicial authority. These councils are empowered to enact regulations concerning various aspects such as land, forest, water, agriculture, health, sanitation, mining, and beyond.

"That was our hope which later turned into uncertainty when the government, as generously as it granted Union Territory status to Ladakh, promised that Ladakh would be safeguarded under the Sixth Schedule but did not fulfil it,” Wangchuk said.

He further argued that if Ladakh is left free for all with no safeguards, there will be mining companies coming. "We hear often they are scouting the mountains and valleys," Wangchuk said, adding that people are apprehensive that huge hotel chains will come up, each potentially bringing in thousands of visitors, that will pose threats to the dry desert ecology of Ladakh.

'The BJP Needs To Keep Its Promise’

Wangchuk said that the BJP needs to fulfil its promise that they made during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections regarding the “Declaration of Ladakh under the Sixth schedule of the Indian Constitution."

"It's like giving a cheque and if the cheque bounces, then we don't care. Hence, what happens to Ladakh with this promise will set a precedent to the rest of India in all elections to come whether leaders can just say anything and not care later and also get away with it,” he added.

[htr2a]

climate change blackpill megapost

there are several climate tipping points identified in the united nations intergovernmental panel on climate change sixth assessment report (chapter 3, specifically). tipping points refer to critical thresholds in a system that, when exceeded, can lead to a significant change in the state of the system, often with an understanding that the change is irreversible. they are:

the greenland ice sheet

the west antarctic ice sheet

the atlantic meridional overturning current

monsoon systems

el niño-southern oscillation

tropical rainforests

northern boreal forests

thawing permafrost

extreme heat

current (2022) global warming of ~1.1°C above preindustrial temperatures already lies within the lower end of some tipping point uncertainty ranges. several tipping points may be triggered in the paris agreement range of 1.5 to <2°C global warming, with many more likely at the 2 to 3°C of warming expected on current policy trajectories.

greenland's ice sheet is in disequilibrium and we are committed to 2-3 meters of sea level rise from its melt alone in the next 200 years.

greenland's ice sheets have been melting twice as fast in the last twenty years as they were during the previous century.

rapid increase in the rate of melting of the west antarctic ice sheet is unavoidable.

the west antarctic ice sheet is retreating twice as fast as previously predicted

because of widespread seawater intrusion beneath the grounded ice of the thwaites glacier.

the west antarctic ice sheet will raise sea levels by four meters when it melts.

this is causing the atlantic meridional overturning current to collapse.

the gulf stream (aka amoc) is weakening. 99% confidence. measured volume through the florida straits has declined by 4% in the past 40 years

the gulf stream will collapse between 2025 and 2095. 95% confidence.

the north atlantic is four standard deviations above its historic temperatures.

when the amoc collapses, the arctic sea-ice pack will extend down to 50°n. the vast expansion of the northern hemispheric sea-ice pack amplifies further northern hemispheric cooling via the ice-albedo feedback.

a collapse of the atlantic meridional overturning circulation would have substantial impacts on global precipitation patterns, especially in the vulnerable tropical monsoon regions in west africa, east asia, and india where they will experience shorter wet seasons and longer dry seasons with an overall decrease in precipitation

although recent studies indicate that the amazon will experience net benefit from the collapse of the amoc with cooler temperatures and increased rainfall

increased el niño intensity will increase the frequency and severity of droughts in the amazon rainforest.

even if we were able to stabilize global mean temperature at 1.5º C, el niño intensity will continue to increase for a century

and the amazon rainforest is currently in the worst drought on record, which may indicate it has passed its threshold to maintain its own wet climate.

while widespread and persistent warming of permafrost has been observed in polar regions and at high elevations since about 1980, the highest permafrost temperatures in the instrumental record were recorded in 2018–2019 (data from 2019-2020)

as of 2019 the southern extent of permafrost had receded northwards by 30 to 80km

soil fires in the canadian arctic are burning the peat underground and melting the permafrost. stat from the study 70% of recorded area of arctic peat affected by burning over the past forty years has occurred in the last eight and 30% of it was in 2020 alone.

nasa finds that tundra releases plumes of methane in the wake of wildfires.

in 2023 eight times more land burned in canada than average.

russian siberia experienced a similarly massive fire season in 2021.

a methane source we weren’t expecting was warmer, wetter conditions to increase organic decomposition in tropical wetlands which is releasing ever increasing amounts of methane.

we have been experiencing exponential rise in atmospheric methane since 2006. historical data indicates that we may have entered into an ice age termination event fueled by these methane releases.

we have been over 1.5º C above pre-industrial temperatures since the beginning of 2023.

this may be because of the extreme el niño conditions of the 2023-24 cycle, but breaches of 1.5°C for a month or a year are early signs of getting perilously close to exceeding the long-term limit

and the world meteorological organization expects us to permanently break 1.5º C of warming from pre-industrial levels within the next five years.

the united nations environmental programme (unep) emissions gap report found that current fossil fuel extraction commitments leave no credible path to keeping warming below 1.5º C. based on current policies we will experience 2.8ºC of warming by 2100. even if all current pledges were implemented and followed through with (which they never have been), we will only be able to limit that to 2.4-2.6ºC of warming.

[scribblestatic]

For a long time, the hedgehog is alone.

Not completely. There are little creatures that become curious of...what are they, actually? A her? A them? A him? Hmmm...

Him...sounds good.

Her does too, but something about her—

Pain pain lonely someone talk to me

...hurts.

The little creatures become curious of him, and he becomes curious of them in turn. He jogs around the island as he pleases, eats the fruits he finds, and sips water from the frequent rain.

But for some reason, the thought of swimming...

Agony

Loneliness

Testing testing

Locked away sick sick sick

The viruses crawl under your skin

The last time you were submerged

Nothing good comes from knowing water

He avoids it if he can.

Bathing is fine. Generally. Just scoop up the water, no need to submerge into it. So he stays clean.

Drinking is fine, too. No need to get into the water to drink. It's okay.

And he lives like this for a few years, his small, round body facing the world with little animal friends.

He helps them when they need it.

A tree fell over? He's not strong enough to pick it up yet, but if he spins real fast, he can cut through it.

Someone stuck on a ledge? He can vibrate his muscles enough that he becomes really fast. He can do it a lot better in his legs than his arms, so he becomes a fast runner. Simply run up the wall and catch the critter. All is well.

He experiments with his speed, running quickly around the island several times.

He likes the wind a lot. It brushes through his spines and he feels free. Open.

Uncaged.

He feels good. Freedom is good.

He thinks...yes...

Everyone should have freedom.

As he spends his time on the island, the ocean temporarily recedes. A path of land branches out, and he sees there's a way to explore.

Interested in this, he bids farewell to the little island, and he runs across the land bridge, hopping on rocks, glaciers, anything to keep from falling into the water.

He reaches other islands, ones that are much closer to each other with more land for him to explore.

Interested, he starts looking around.

It's around this time that he discovers...

Others.

There are more creatures that are not critters.

They are like him.

"Oh dear," one says, in a language he somehow understands, "Who let you run around without gloves? Without shoes? Poor thing, where are your parents?"

He's aware of what a parent is, but is unsure if he has those. He opens his mouth to try saying that, but for some reason, his voice doesn't come out. Like it's stuck. Like speaking would hurt.

You tried so hard to speak back then.

No one listened.

That won't change now.

His mouth shuts, and he simply shakes his head. The Other looks distressed by his answer.

"Oh dear... Oh poor dear. Come now, let me get you something."

The Other shows him to a town with more Others.

He learns they're called Mobians. That he is a Mobian.

Hedgehog, his mind supplies without him asking.

The Mobian woman, a dog? She buys him a little pair of shoes and gloves. She also takes him to buy a snack. To do so, she takes him to a market.

It's full of other Mobians, all of them wearing gloves and shoes, some of them wearing other clothes. Some have supplies from a place called "the Mainland", while others sell "local" things.

One Mobian is selling food from the Mainland has meat. It's in a strange cylindrical-like shape, but it smells really good. He hasn't had meat in a long time before.

The kind woman buys him the meat. The man puts something called ketchup on it, and he hands him the meat on a stick.

He takes it and, after blowing on it like the woman says, he takes a bite.

His eyes blow wide, and his tail starts wagging furiously.

It's divine.

The woman takes him to a place called a shelter, where he can stay and sleep. She can't keep him with her, but she hopes he does well and she was happy to meet him.

He's happy to have met her, too. And he trusts her, so he goes into the shelter.

But the shelter feels...cramped. Wrong.

Not because it's not comfortable, but bring in a building...in a room.

He leaves in the middle of the night, sleeping out in the forest instead. Napping in a tree ends up being a much better place for him after all.

[weather-usa]

Witness the glacier outburst that unleashed a surge of water into Juneau, leading to 'unprecedented' flooding.

A surge of water unleashed by a deteriorating glacier swelled an Alaska river to record levels on Tuesday, causing destructive flooding in Juneau almost exactly a year after a similar major event.

More than 100 homes have been damaged or affected by the glacial lake outburst flooding along the Mendenhall River in the Mendenhall Valley, according to city officials, who described the severity of the flood as "unprecedented."

Climate and Average Weather Year Round in 20646 - La Plata MD:

Glacial lake outbursts occur when a lake formed by melting snow, ice, and rain rapidly drains—like pulling the plug in a full bathtub—after rising high enough to overflow the glacier holding it back, the city of Juneau explained in a news release.

The outbursts have become a regular occurrence since 2011, driven by the effects of climate change. The Arctic, including Alaska, is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world due to rising global temperatures caused by fossil fuel pollution.

Weather Forecast For 60637-Chicago-IL:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/201317791/Weather-Forecast-For-60637-Chicago-IL

This rapid warming is causing glaciers, such as the Mendenhall and Suicide glaciers where the floodwaters originated, to thin or melt entirely. A portion of the once icy expanse of the Suicide Glacier has now been replaced by an earthen divot that fills up like a bathtub each summer, setting the stage for these events.

City officials reported that the lake at Suicide Basin filled to the brim and then overtopped the glacier on August 1, following an unusually wet July with nearly double the typical rainfall. By Sunday, it was evident that water from the lake was reaching the river, and by Monday, city officials warned residents of potential evacuations.

Water levels in the Suicide Basin lake dropped more than 400 feet after this year’s outburst, including over 350 feet in just 24 hours from Monday into Tuesday.

This massive release of water caused the Mendenhall River to surge to a record-breaking 15.99 feet on Tuesday morning, more than a foot higher than the levels reached last year when homes collapsed into the water due to the eroded riverbank.

This year’s flooding extended deeper into Mendenhall Valley, with significantly more water inundating the valley, streets, and homes, according to Juneau Deputy City Manager Robert Barr, who spoke with the Associated Press.

Photos shared by Alaska’s emergency management agency on Facebook depicted homes surrounded by a milky sea of floodwater, high enough to cover the hoods of vehicles.

Some streets were submerged under 3 to 4 feet of water, possibly more, Barr noted. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and the city opened an emergency shelter, where about 40 people stayed overnight.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration to support response and recovery efforts.

“I am grateful no one has been injured or killed by this morning’s outburst flood,” Dunleavy said. “Emergency responders and managers have done an outstanding job keeping their residents safe.”

The floodwaters have receded as the glacial lake has emptied, and the river has fallen below flood stage, according to the National Weather Service in Juneau.

See more:

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-32087

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-32091

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-32092

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-32094

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-32095

[newluddite]

Global Warming is real A'holes.

But its probably too late to do anything about it.

Before the screaming idiots get going I want all of them to explain to themselves what the "Carbon Cycle" is. It is central to the issue. If you do not know about it shut up until you do. Basically all the carbon in the air came from the ground, all the carbon in the ground came from the air.

Next thing is to realize that our planet has never been static. There have been several eras when the entire planet was probably totally frozen. They call it Snowball earth (or ice house earth). There have also been eras where there were no glaciers anywhere and the poles had tropically hot climates. They call those Greenhouse Earth. Yup the planetary climate bounces back and forth without our help.

The last Ice house earth was many millions of years ago. Before dinosaurs and even life on land. Since then the earth has experienced ice ages and hot ages. Geologically we are currently in an "inter-glacial period" which is a warm period that previously would typically end in glaciers covering most of the industrial world surface again. (that's the northern hemisphere in America and Europe)

Now do not think I am saying that the current warming trend is not due to us humans. It is mostly our fault. But if we were totally not impacting the climate it would change over time anyway but tens of thousands of years. Arguably the reason us humans spread over the whole damn planet was because of receding ice. We spent over a million years in Africa before we moved out. Humans walked to the Americas over dry land when the sea level was much lower cuz so much water was still ice. This was not that long ago, something like 16,000 years ago. That is an eye blink in geologic time.

Many people do not believe something because they have a personal stake in something that is hurt by whatever authorities say must be done. I believe this as I can see it happening and I can read.

I also know that all the advanced industrial sophisticated nations total up to something like 9% of the global population. Those are the people who actually may try to do something about climate change. India and China have 35% of the worlds humans and do not give a damn about curbing coal or carbon emissions. Yes they sign treaties, but they tear them up as soon as they go home.

China has fired up enough new coal power plants since signing a climate change treaty to swamp any reduction that may occur from everything that Canada, the US, and Europe has managed to do so far and plan to do.

India has a serious electric power shortage, but that is due to being unable to get the coal from their mines to the power plants fast enough. They depend on coal and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

For the rest of the earth's population they all want what the rich people have. BUT that takes doing things that make the climate even worse. The same people who want to save the planet also want everyone in the poor areas in Africa to have TVs the internet and cell phones and those take power you know. They burn stuff to make that people.

Those without patience just up and move North. Migration is a very common and historically normal human activity. But more people use more resources wherever they are.

So what happens if all the glaciers melt, and the seas rise and you can grow tomatoes in the Arctic? Well you grow tomatoes in the Arctic. The main cereal producing areas of the globe move north. The great plains of the US turn to desert. They run out of water first. That is happening already and has been for 30 years.

News now is the US southwest is in a 20 year drought and the levels in the Colorado River reservoirs are the lowest since they were built. Farms in California cannot grow lettuce and Avocados without that water. Irrigation is simply not sustainable. Global warming is making that worse.

Many millions of people live in low lying areas by the sea. That includes me. My city is surrounded by dykes. It may not be here in 100 years. Neither will I for that matter. It is projected that 1 billion people will have to move due to sea level rise by 2050. I may just live to see that.

Can you stop it? I guess I am coming down on the side of its too late and no you can't as it is politically impossible. If the 9% of the population stopped emitting any net carbon today the other 91% will swamp it with their exhaust. They have no motivation to help.

I suppose that the most interesting thing is we are witnessing a geological process in the span of a human lifetime. That is both cool and frightening.

[indianflash123]

Melting Glaciers Leak Out Large Amounts of Bacteria Into  Water Bodies

Melting Glaciers Leak Out Large Amounts of Bacteria Into Water Bodies

Fast-melting glaciers release a staggering amount of bacteria into rivers and streams, which could transform icy ecosystems, warns scientists. In a study of glacial run off from ten sites across the Northern Hemisphere, the researchers estimated that continued global warming over the next 80 years could release hundreds of thousands of tonnes of bacteria into downstream of receding…

[indianflashnews]

Melting Glaciers Leak Out Large Amounts of Bacteria Into  Water Bodies

Melting Glaciers Leak Out Large Amounts of Bacteria Into Water Bodies

Fast-melting glaciers release a staggering amount of bacteria into rivers and streams, which could transform icy ecosystems, warns scientists. In a study of glacial run off from ten sites across the Northern Hemisphere, the researchers estimated that continued global warming over the next 80 years could release hundreds of thousands of tonnes of bacteria into downstream of receding…

[the-last-cuddlebender]

I wish you would write a fic where.... Aang and katara take their kid penguin sledding ❤️ or just visit the South Pole

My immediate thought with “visit the South Pole” was ice-skating, but the otterpenguins get a honorable mention lol.

(This somehow became Kya-centric, and I absolutely adore it.)

feat. bestdad!Aang, bëbë!Kya, bestmom!Katara, bestuncle!Sokka, bestPap-Pop!Hakoda, littleshit!Bumi, and bëbë!Tenzin

Words: 2,004

*****************************************

Sokka was going to die if he didn’t stop laughing long enough to breathe. That, or Katara was going to creatively kill him.

Aang was beauty. Aang was grace.

Aang could not ice-skate.

He could surf on the wind and walk on one hand through fire, but put him on bladed shoes on ice? He was worse than a newborn catdeer.

“Daddy, you gotta do this, r‘member?” Little Kya had her mother’s grace and twice her father’s flair even when she was so thickly layered that her arms perpetually stood at the horizontal. Only a thin strip of her face was visible between her parka and her hood.

“I-I got it, moonpeach.”

Aang, in fact, did not have it.

He’s lucky he’s so flexible, otherwise the split he windmilled and then belly-flopped into might have hurt him.

Sokka laughed so hard that the otterpenguins two glaciers down made disgruntled sounds at him.

Aang tried to hide himself in the ice. Kya bent over and patted his arrow with one of her horizontal arms.

The snow melted around Sokka from the force of Katara’s glare, but he really, really couldn’t care less.

Oh, how he wished to have one of those new photo-whatchamacallits that they had in the city.

“Daddyyyy...,” Kya whined in a chastising tone that nearly swapped their roles as parent and child. “Daddy, you gotta do it like this.” Kya was insistent, stern, and extremely amiable with her wobbling student. “Here, hold my hand. I won’t let you fall again, m’kay?”

Aang managed a weak laugh and tried to nervously decline for fear of accidentally smushing her when he inevitably fell again, but little Kya was already taking his hand. Her face flushed a little red as she struggled to gain initial momentum, but it wasn’t long before she was skating with her father, crouched and holding her hand with both of his, like he was cargo tied to a sled.

The ice sang as Katara slid up next to them. Her hands laced behind her back as she swayed with complete control of and on her element. “Very good, Kya. You’re a great teacher.” Katara patted Aang’s back. “Isn’t she, sweetie?”

Kya puffed her chest and smiled so wide that they could see it in the small space between the neck of her parka and her hood. Aang’s legs were starting to shake from crouching for so long.

“Katara,” Aang hissed. “Katara, help me.”

Katara laughed something bordering on pride and mischief. She kissed his cheek, maneuvered to kiss Kya, too, and skated away to push Sokka, sitting on the border of the ice, into the powder again.

“Kataraaaaa…” Aang shook a little more, threatened to windmill again, but caught himself by sinking into a crouch so low that his rear nearly touched the ice. He was level with his daughter, now, and their speed was inches at a time. “Katara, please.”

“You’re doing really good, Daddy.” Kya patted his head with her free horizontal arm. “‘S okay to be scared. Don’t worry. I'll catch you if you fall again.”

“Hehehe, well, you see, Kya, Daddy is really heavy, and he doesn’t want to—”

Kya rounded on him with a familiar glare that compelled Aang to sit straight and speak clearly when he talked. “I’m strong!”

“Oh, I know, sweetie, I know. You’re very strong, but that’s not—”

Kya tried to press her finger to  his lips but ended up pressing the whole of her mitt to his mouth. “Shhh!” She straightened like a woman going to war. “I said Imma catch you, so don’t be scared, ‘kay? I promise.”

Aang melted and would have become a human puddle if he wouldn’t have smushed Kya in the process. She had his heart in the palm of her hand.

“I promise, okay?” Kya waddled close to Aang—who was still crouching low enough to be at her level—and strained her horizontal arms to circle his neck in a hug. “I promise.”

Aang’s insides liquified. On the border of their little ice ring, Katara oozed pride so thick that it escaped her in a giggle. Even Sokka picked himself out of the snow and smiled at the loving little oogies.

...The moment was broken the second Bumi appeared.

He and Hakoda were sprinting for their lives.

“What—Dad?” Katara stood at attention with Sokka right beside her.

“No time!”

“Gotta hide!”

Hakoda and Bumi dove into the powder that was once Sokka’s little purgatory of Katara’s design.

They missed. Terribly. Partially because they dove through the powder and onto the ice.

Aang really wasn’t being given much luck that day.

The duo took him out at the knees just as he stood with Kya in hand. A Mother’s instinct was a force stronger than nature, and Katara was in his wake and catching their daughter before Kya was ever in danger of hitting the ice.

“Daddy!” Kya, thoroughly distressed, squirmed to be let down. She was so frantic to get to the bundle of limbs and groans now stuck in the powder that she treaded on nothing for the first few seconds after Katara put her back on the ice. She windmilled her horizontal arms and skated to the scene of the accident.

Aang was on his back and trying to remember how to breathe, mutely groaning a ‘why me’. His daughter’s teary eyes took up all he saw when next his vision found focus, and his heart broke with a crack so loud that he swore everyone could hear it.

“D-Daddy…” Kya maneuvered onto her knees and patted Aang’s face with her mitts. “I’m sorry, Daddy…”

Aang, half-buried in the snow, reached up to wipe away her little tears. His world was collapsing, but he tried to keep the bulk of his worry and desperation out of his voice. “Hey, hey, hey, shhh...It’s okay, Kya. See? Daddy’s okay.”

Kya hugged his head, nearly wrapping the whole of her around him and his neck. “I promised to catch you…I promised...” She sniffled. “I’m sorry…’M sorry…”

Unadulterated fury like a tempest made flesh skated over to them, but Katara channeled her bloodlust into a somewhat rough wave of her hand to free her son and father. They raced to tell her something about ‘Gran-Gran’s retribution’ and ‘leopardseal boots and octopus’ and ‘they didn’t know the sea prunes were hers’ and ‘pretty please tell Gran-Gran to grant us mercy’.

Katara crossed her arms. They sat straight and shut their mouths.

(Sokka, shaking his head, was already working out how he could possibly use his diplomatic skills to save his father’s and nephew’s lives.)

“Sorry…’M sorry, Daddy…”

“Oh, Kya…” Aang was sitting cross-legged and hugging his daughter in the next second. He was flexible enough to move like water even with his skates on. “It’s okay. You didn’t break your promise.”

“But...B-But…” Kya was struggling so hard to not cry that Aang was half-prepared to bargain with even Koh himself for the secret to keeping her from tears.

“You said you would catch me, and I didn’t fall. I was run over by your brother and Pap-Pop.” He kissed her cheek and blew a raspberry until she smiled, and her little giggle stitched the world back together.

The hand on Aang’s shoulder was relieved and no longer thirsty for blood; Katara was a tide receding back to calm waters. “You’re a fantastic teacher, moonpeach,” she softly said as she kissed Kya’s other cheek.

Kya smiled even wider, patted both of their faces, and laughed a sound that even the otterpenguins two glaciers away were calmed and drawn towards.

Aang held her to his chest so she was sitting on his arms. “I guess I need to start calling you, Sifu Kya, won’t I?”

Katara sagely nodded. “Oh, absolutely. Though I must warn you, Kya, Daddy is a pretty difficult student.”

“I am not—”

“Hush, Pupil Daddy.” Katara’s eyes howled with the laughter that she struggled to keep at bay (but that Sokka, Hakoda, and even little Bumi, freely let out).

Aang grumbled but couldn’t care less about their audience when Kya smiled like that. She bounced more than she squirmed to be put down, and she bounced even more as she took Aang’s hand and ‘helped’ him to his feet. She was so excited that she either didn’t notice or didn’t care about Katara picking her husband up and tapping his legs apart so he (resembled) a stance that would keep him from immediately falling.

Aang stayed crouched so low that his rear nearly touched the ice. He was a puddle in airbender robes holding onto his daughter’s horizontal hand with both of his. Katara was a gleeful shadow right behind him and oozing pride as readily as the sun gave heat.

“Can you show me how to stop again, Sifu Kya?” Aang gently asked. “I’m not a really good student—”

Katara laughed.

“—and I could really use another demonstration from a Master.”

Kya spoke in excited huffs and bubbles of giggles, just too excited for words. She nodded so fast that her head threatened to come clean off her shoulders, and she tugged him across the ice even faster.

Hakoda and Bumi sat with Sokka in the powder and cooed at the little oogies.

...But they didn’t have very long to enjoy it.

Gran-Gran crested the hill like a deadly omen armed with a broom that she wielded like a master spearman.

The look in her eyes was a force of nature that put even Katara’s to shame.

Even the otterpenguins two glaciers down cried for mercy and sprinted for their lives.

Katara and Aang were content, for the moment, to let natural selection determine Bumi’s and Hakoda’s fates.

(A Mother’s instinct was a force of nature, though, so Katara’s calm became Aang’s waypoint to gauge when or if he had to save the eldest-born part of their world.)

For now, they were content. Class was in session, after all.

Kya puffed up, waddled with her arms horizontal, and spoke in a tone that compelled Aang to speak clearly when he talked and fight the overwhelming urge to hug her.

The spark in her little eyes was a force of nature all on its own.

A Father’s instinct was a tide that was pushed and pulled with her every smile.

Aang was an ocean reduced to a puddle.

His full moon stood at his back.

His Morning Star waved her arms in excitement, and his Evening Star faintly laughed among Hakoda’s pleas for mercy.

“—this move all on my own! It’s really easy, but I’ll be right ‘ere in case you fall, Daddy!”

...It took Aang months to learn that move.

But it would have taken him lifetimes to learn it all on his own.

He loved every second of it—even the bruises that came with it.

...The first time Aang fell during a ‘lesson’, Katara was too slow to catch him.

A Daughter’s instinct was a force of nature, though, and little Kya was braced with her arms vertical to catch him. Aang should have known better. His daughter was his and Katara’s. If Gran-Gran could chase down three warriors and bring them to their knees even in her old age, it should be no surprise that Kya could hold up one man in her young years.

...The first time Aang skated ‘freely’, Kya and Bumi were on each of his sides.

...The first time Tenzin wore his ice-skates, Kya helped lace them up for him. Her voice was stern but calming like something protective as she herded him onto the ice.

“It’s okay, Ten-Ten. I got you. I won’t let you fall. I promise I’ll catch you.”

Aang and Katara were going to melt the whole South Pole if they smiled any bigger.

...Sokka was going to kill himself if he didn’t take a break from laughing to breathe, but Aang was no better. Katara, either, for that matter.

Kya puffed her chest like the world and everything in it was hers.

“Sifu?” Tenzin didn’t know what most words meant yet, but he was convinced he knew the word for ‘sister’. “Sifu, ‘m hungry...Bumi didn’t share the ‘prunes.”

No one dared to correct him.

(Kya held it over Tenzin’s head for years.)

(“Korra, I gotta hand it to you. Tenzin is a terrible student, but you helped him learn how to be a great teacher.”)

(“Kya, please…”)

(“Ah-ah! That’s ‘Sifu’ to you, Ten-Ten.”)

*****************************************

.

.

I don’t know how this became a Kya-love fic, but I’m not complaining in the least. The splash-bëbë deserves all the love in the world😤, and she has Aang wrapped around her finger💖

[farewllyouth]

wip ask game: hot

(WHY didn't I get a notification that you sent me this ;-; anyway here's a thing from ch3 of my kerry/v fic that I'm definitely still working on.......)

Kerry hasn't met anyone like V in a long time, maybe not since the Samurai days, or even before that. They keep surprising him, even though nothing much surprises him anymore. Most of his romantic endeavors burn hot and fast, like a brush fire in a drought. V is more like… a receding glacier - a wall of ice slowly pushing back to reveal the landscape beneath.

[digitalshiv]

Biofuels- How They Can Help You Avoid Building a Big Oil Tank

The fast-receding popularity of fossil fuel and the steadily increasing global demand for energy has necessitated the generation of alternate fuels in order to counter the rapidly increasing global deposition of carbon dioxide, which is leading to drastic global warming. In this regard, the United States is taking a lead in biofuels production by virtue of its vast fertile plain area, but there are other countries, mainly in South America, where biofuel production is limited due to terrain and climate conditions. There is also some political volatility existing over the use of Biofuels in lieu of fossil fuel because the major exporters of fossil fuel are in China. The major political opposition in Brazil to the use of Ethanol was because of the fact, that it was perceived that it would deplete the country's rain forests and also cause substantial deforestation. This issue was again raised during the recent Brazil election when Dilma, the former Workers' Party president by her opponents, "What do you plan to do about China?"

Brazil has recently become the center of attention in world biofuel talks, because during the past few years they have been producing very high amounts of Ethanol out of Ligna, which is a by-product of the sugar cane industry. Brazil has been utilizing Ligna for producing ethanol since the late 70s, although at that time they produced only small amounts of biofuel. The world biofuel debate is based on the theory that burning of biofuels will cause significant amounts of carbon dioxide to be released into the air, which will in turn result in catastrophic climate change, accelerating glacier retreat, and extinctions of some wildlife species. Although there is substantial controversy over the issue of mitigation of climate change and the effect it will have on future human societies and agriculture, Brazil is concerned about the effects of global warming on their rain forest.

[pandjseetheworld]

Icefield Parkway: Southbound

We woke up early to pack up and head down to Calgary. The forecast had predicted rain and thunderstorms so the fact it wasn’t raining when we woke up made us pack up real fast anticipating rain at any moment. The forecast in the mountains is so unreliable and it’s worked out in our benefit multiple times on this trip. Thankfully the weather stayed dry and the visibility from the smoke had clear so this drive on the Icefield Parkway was about to be our first with views! This drive beats the Going-to-the-Sun 100x over. There are dramatic mountains on either side, rivers in and out (with great chances to see bears), green forests on either side as well, breathtaking views that make you gasp, and hikes sprinkled just off the road. This place truly is incredible!!! Along the way we made a few pit stops because we didn’t get to on the way up to Jasper.

First Stop: Athabasca Glacier

We went back to Athabasca Glacier so Pearce could get his photo at year 2000 marker (or where we thought 2000 was). He did this because the last time he was here with his family was in 2000 and it really shows you how much the glacier has receded. Pretty wild! It was also such a clear day, seeing the glacier we hiked in full visibility was awesome too!

Second Stop: Parker Ridge

(5miles about 900ft elevation) You could see this trail from the parkway so Pearce and I didn’t have very high expectations for it. We though mehhhhh we’ll get some elevation with some decent views! What we didn’t know is that the trail takes you along the ridge so you get views you can’t get from the pkwy! That made this hike very worthwhile!!

[jwslw]

An idea for semi-realistic monsters

I’m probably not the first person to think of something like this, but here is my take on a Cockatrice and Wyvern like creatures that evolved from raptors.

Cockatrice and Wyverns

Overview

An odd evolutionary offshoot of the Dromaeosauridae (raptor) family, The Wyvern and Cockatrice are unusual ambush predators, that can produce and spit venom for hunting.  Like most other Dromaeosauridae, the Cockatrice and Wyvren have three fingers on each hand, the first and second finger on each hand is surprisingly dexterous and used by the creature to help it climb, the third finger on each hand is elongated, and properly part of the creature's wing structure. Cockatrice and Wyvren are also digitigrade bipeds with a large sickle shaped claw on each foot that can be used to slash or anchor them to larger prey items.  At first glance, Cockatrice and Wyvrens do not look that different from modern reconstructions of raptor type dinosaurs, including a large plume/fan of feathers at the tip of the tail.   Unlike other raptors, Cockatrice and Wyvrens do not have normal toothy mouths, instead they have heavy beaks, similar in structure to, but not as robust as, the beaks of the Phorusrhacidae (terror birds), a large bright red wattle-like venom sac immediately behind their lower jaws, and a double row of serrated ridges running down either side of the tail starting half way down the tail's length and terminating just ahead of the fan.  Because of the rigid nature of their tails, a Cockatrice or Wyvren can employ their tail ridges in combat, but only to a limited degree, employing them as a defense against pursuing enemies, or occasionally, to injure larger prey in hit and run attacks.   Cockatrice and Wyvren are not true fliers, but, they glide quite well, with most studies estimating that both species possess a 6 to 1 glide ratio.  

Cockatrice and Wyverns mostly live in temperate to sub-tropical regions, Cockatrice prefer to live in forested foothill regions, while Wyvrens live in more mountainous regions or wide open plains.  Both species prefer to nest in caves or structures such as barns and basements were they have ready access to food.

History

The origin of the Cockatrice and Wyvern is not yet completely understood, some researchers have assigned them the speculative genus expuens accipiter, (spitting hawk in Latin) within the family Dromaeosauridae to the creatures and assigned them the  species names Africanus (Wyvern) and Pacifica (Cockatrice). These names and placing are not accepted by all researchers, with some arguing the creatures simply stem from the same common ancestor as Dromaeosauridae and modern avians. Fragmentary fossil evidence suggests that the oldest ancestors of the modern species evolved in Cretaceous south-west Asia some 78mya.  It is still not clear to researchers how the creature's survived the KT extinction event.  Researchers are confident however that the two modern lineages, first diverged at the start of the Pleistocene glaciation beginning 2.58mya, with the ancestors of the ea. Africanus (Wyvern), being confined to Africa, while ea. Pacifica (Cockatrice) were confined to the islands of the South Pacific, with their modern forms moving into the Eurasia as the glaciers receded.

In recent times researchers have proposed the existence of three additional species the North American ea. Leedsdiablos (the Jersey Devil), the semi aqutic ea. Amazonas (the Brazillian Boiúna serpent) of South America, and the ea. Oceanis (the Poukai bird of Maori folklore) said to be native to New Zealand and Australia.  These claims are however, dismissed out of hand by most researchers, with alleged sightings put down to hoaxes, miss-identification or illegally imported specimens.

Cockatrice

Physical traits

Cockatrice are the smaller, and more social, of the two species.  A typical Cockatrices 91-122cm (3-4ft) long from beak tip to tail tip, stands 56-61cm (22-24in) tall at the shoulder, with a tip-to-tip wingspan of 3-3.1meters (roughly 10ft), and weigh 20-28kg (45-60lb), like birds, female Cockatrice are larger than males.  Cockatrice have predominately off-white, yellow, or brown feathers, males have dark green, red or blue feathers on their heads and tails for mating display, both male and female cockatrice have brightly colored red, green and blue feathers concealed within their breast and wing feathers for threat displays.  Cockatrice produce a potent neurotoxin that can paralyze their prey, that the cockatrice can project upto 4 to 5 meters (approximately 15feet), or inject it directly into the target through a pair of hypodermic fangs near the tip of the creature's beak.  A Cockatrice's neurotoxin is designed to cause a victim's joints to seize up, a creature that has been effected by Cockatrice venom will be unable to move for upto, 144 hours (six days). The venom will not absorb through normal epidermal tissue, as such, a Cockatrice will aim for a creature's face, attempting to contaminate the soft tissue of the creature's eyes, mouth or nostrils.  The common hunting strategy for a Cockatrice is to climb on to an elevated position, such as a small ledge or particularly thick tree branch to attack its intended prey, first by spitting on it and secondly by leaping onto the target, leading with its heavy foot talons.  Cockatrice have powerful legs it can sprint at upto 75kph (55mph) for three minutes, and can leap 7-8meters (roughly 25ft) from a standing start at ground level.   A Cockatrice will reach full maturity in three years and can survive upto 20 years in captivity, but, most live only 10 to 15 years in the wild.

Society and Child rearing

While not true pack hunters, as many as 15 mated pairs of Cockatrice can be found living in a single cave or building. Cockatrice mate for life and eggs are lain in clutches of 4 to 6.  Breeding season lasts from late spring to early summer and fertilized eggs take 8 weeks to hatch.  During this time, the mother will stay with the nest while the father hunts for food to bring back, and will continue to hunt while the mother guards the young for the first 4 weeks after they hatch.  At a round 7 weeks old, Cockatrices chicks will begin to accompany their parents on hunting trips.  A Cockatrice couple will chase away a current clutch of young when the mother begins to brood again, typically one year after their hatching.  While they are unnervingly quiet when hunting, Cockatrice are boisterous creatures when at rest or threatened, with a wide range of calls, similar to sounds made by both predatory and non-predatory birds.

Diet

Cockatrice are obligate carnivores, while they mostly stick to animals they can quickly dispatch and consume whole, such as small rodents, lizards or birds, they can, thanks to their neurotoxin, bring down prey considerably larger than themselves, while their mate is tending to their young, males will frequently pursue goats, beaver and other similar sized animals to bring back to the nest.  While single and mated pairs of Cockatrice will usually attempt to drive away other Cockatrice that come to close to their kills, a strange behavior can be observed when a single or mated pair brings down a particularly large prey item such as a cow or elk.  When this happens, the successful Cockatrice will begin making a peculiar high pitched wailing, this wail can be heard out to a range of 4-5km (roughly 3 miles) and will draw in other Cockatrice, which will be allowed to share the catch with them. When consuming large prey, Cockatrice have a “puncture and pull” feeding method, and can not crack bone, though, they can digest the bones of smaller animals when consumed whole.  To maintain ideal health, a Cockatrice must consume at least its own body weight each week.    

    Wyvern

Physical Traits

Wyvern are larger and much less social than their smaller cousins.  A typical specimen stands 1.8-2 meters (6 to 7 feet) tall at the shoulder, measure 4.5-6.1 meters (15-20feet) long from beak to tail tip, a tip to tip wingspan of 9-10 meters (roughly 30ft) and a weight of 272-296 kg (600-650lb).  Like most varieties of bird, female Wyverns are larger than their male counterparts.  Wyvern feathers are a mixture of dark gray, rust red, and dull brown, giving the creatures a surprising degree of camouflage in their preferred habitat.  Unlike the Cockatrice, Wyvern do not have fangs and do not produce neurotoxin, instead, they produce a potent molecular acid that can cause serious damage to any organic matter it comes into contact with, including sedimentary rock, and is capable of scouring flesh down to the bone on unprotected humans or similar creatures and can even inflicting third degree burns to animals like hippopotamus and rhinoceros, or humans wearing thick winter clothing.  When stored in the venom sac, and when initially projected from the Wyvern's mouth, the acid is coated in mucus that prevents it from injuring the Wyvern producing it, the mucus will quickly dissolve once exposed to the air, once this happens the Wyvern is just as vulnerable to the acid as any other creature.  The venom sac of a typical adult Wyvern can produce enough venom to cover a 45 to 50 cm² (17-20 in²) area, an adult Wyvren can project acid upto 10-11 meters (roughly 30 to 35 feet).  Once a Wyvern has “spit” acid, it takes roughly 85-90 seconds for it to produce enough acid to do so again. Wyvren acid is however virtually ineffective against most refined metals and modern ceramics such as ones used in the production of bullet proof armors.  A Wyvern is fast, capable of running upto 68kph (45mph) for upto 3 minutes and can cover a distance of 10 meters (30ft) when jumping from a standing start at ground level.  When hunting a Wyvern will spit acid to cripple prey before leaping on to the prey to disembowel it with their talons.  A Wyvren reaches full maturity at six years old and can survive for upto 50 years.

Society and Child rearing

Wyvern are mostly solitary creatures, though they do mate for life and will occasionally tolerate Cockatrice or other small predatory animals sharing their hunting ranges.  Wyvern breeding season usually begins in late winter and lasts till early spring.  After mating a female Wyvern will lay one or two eggs and incubate them for the next twelve weeks.  During the entire incubation process and for the first three months after the Wyvern chicks hatch, the mother remains at the nesting site while the father hunts.  At two years old, the chick(s) will begin accompanying their parents on hunts.  For the first four years after the chick(s) have hatched, the mother Wyvern's body will produce hormones to suppress her reproductive cycle, however, after this period, hormone production ends and the mother will begin brooding again at the start of the next breeding season, at which point she will chase away her adolescent child(ren) as a potential threat to her future chick(s).

Diet

Wyvern are obligate carnivores, when tending chicks that are to young to leave the nest, Wyverns will content themselves with small game that can easily be carried to the den, like goats, gazelle, sheep or young deer.  When not tending to young or when the young are old enough to accompany their parents on hunts, Wyvern hunt large game, like cattle, adult deer, and in some cases, even giraffe or hippopotamus, while a Wyvern's beak and jaw muscles are not quite strong enough to bite through bone, they are strong enough to severe the cartilage, allowing them to bite off arms and legs to swallow whole.  Wyvern living near rural communities are especially found of domesticated pigs and donkeys.  To maintain proper health, a Wyvern must consume roughly twice its body weight each week.

The Boiúna serpent (Speculative)

While still regarded as a hoax or miss-identification of an existing animal by most researchers, a great deal of eyewitness testimony has been gathered on the hypothetical ea.  Amazonas has been collected and presented here.

Physical traits

In most regards a  Boiúna serpent is reported in one of two ways, either being similar in size to its Cockatrice cousins or to Wyverns, however, their wingspan is described as only 1.5 to 2.2 meters (4-7.5ft) from tip to tip when reported as being Cockatrice sized or 5-6 meters (16-20ft) when reported as Wyvren sized, however, its wing feathers are much longer and seemingly employed to create shade for attracting fish. The legs of a  Boiúna are usually described as longer and thinner than either of its two recognized cousins, with less pronounced cutting claws. The beak of a Boiúna serpent is described as being more like the beak of a Cormorant, long and thin with a sharp hook at the end for catching and holding fish.  The feathers covering most of a  Boiúna serpent are said to be mostly blue-black or purple-black, with a smaller tuft pale gray feathers on their chest and necks, the beak and leg scales are usually a dark brown color.  On the matter of their venom, accounts seem to be largely split between two camps.  While all accounts say that the  Boiúna serpent lacks teeth, and therefore can not inject venom, roughly half of all reported encounters claim that they possess a weakened version of the neurotoxin produced by a Cockatrice, with the effects wearing off in a matter of hours or after only a day or two, while other sources claim that the  Boiúna serpent produces not venom, but, a strong natural adhesive that can pin potential threats in place allowing them to escape or bring down the target, Boiúna serpent venom is believed to have the same range as Cockatrice venom when “spit”.  It is not known for certain, but, most researchers that believe in the  Boiúna serpent, think it is slower than other relate species estimating their top speed at around 59-60kph (40mph).

Society and Child Rearing

Boiúna, do not seem to be sociable creatures, traveling alone or mated pairs.  As most researchers believe young have never been observed, arguing that the Boiúna may experience indeterminate growth, it is believed that they are kept sheltered for much longer than with other species of  expuens accipiter.   However, in recent years, an alternate theory has emerged, suggesting that reports of smaller Boiúna are actually of young/immature members of the species and that the larger adults actually practice significantly less parental care than their cousins.  

Diet

Unsurprisingly, the primary diet of the Boiúna serpent is believed to be fish and small reptiles.  Boiúna serpents are also speculated to raid the nests of other birds as well as caiman and other reptiles.  Some witnesses report seeing Boiúna serpent kick snakes to death in a manner similar to Sagittarius serpentarius  (Secretary birds). Others have claimed to witness them feeding on large animals such a Tapir and Pudu deer.  If the latter stories are true, it is not known if they actively brought down the animal in question, or merely used threat displays to chase off the animal that actually brought it down.

[elsa-should-be-arrested]

Frozen 2 Pitchmeeting copypasta by Anonymous

>"So anyway Elsa, Anna, and Olaf are walking along to find the mysterious voice when they suddenly come across a shipwreck that turns out to be the same one from Iduna and Agnarr's final voyage!" >"Oh, wow." >"Yeah, it turns out they didn't go to the South Sea like Elsa and Anna thought, they really went to the Dark Sea, which is right next to the forest." >"So this scene takes place on a beach?" >"Oh, no, they're still in the middle of the woods." >"What?" >"Yeah, the beach doesn't come into it until later." >"How did their parents' ship sink in the middle of the forest?" >"Unclear." >"Did the area used to be part of the ocean but the water has since receded?" >"Oh no, there are decades-old trees everywhere and the ocean can't even be seen on the horizon." >"Did the Spirits throw the ship clear from the ocean into the middle of the forest?" >"I mean they probably could do that but I don't see why they would instead of just letting the ship sink to the ocean floor like we saw in the first movie." >"I just feel like this raises so many questions that could've been easily avoided if the scene just took place on a beach." >"Yeah, probably. So anyway the three of them run into the ship and look around to see if they can find an explanation as to why it's here in the forest instead of the South Sea like they said they were and find a map that mentions Ahtohallan." >"Gesundheit." >"No, sir, Ahtohallan is the name of the magic glacier that Iduna used to tell Anna and Elsa about when they were kids, and she thought it might have had something to do with Elsa's powers, if it even existed at all." >"That's an interesting theory. I just hope Elsa doesn't put all her eggs in one basket and immediately decide Ahtohallan is the key to everything because there's no concrete connection to her powers, and even her mother wasn't entirely--" >"And so Elsa immediately decides Ahtohallan is the key to everything!" >"Of course." >"But then she remembers Olaf's 'water has memory' thing from earlier in the movie and so she decides to use her water memory restoration powers to witness their parents' dying moments." >"Wait, what? Elsa has water memory restoration powers? I thought she just controlled ice and snow." >"Well, sir, as you know, ice and snow are just forms of water." >"Yes, but doesn't this movie's mythology treat water and ice as two completely separate elements? And if she can control water why hasn't she ever done it before? And even if she can use water to recreate past memories how would she even know how to do that? Wouldn't she need to train under some sort of magic ice Enchanted Forest Yoda or something?" >"Sir, I need a reason for Elsa to get really sad really fast, so I'd like you to get all the way off my back about Elsa's new water powers that will never be mentioned again." >"Fair enough." >"So anyway Elsa is able to recreate her parents' dying moments in which they embrace each other in the face of a really violent, terrifying death and call out Elsa's name." >"Not Anna's name, who is also their daughter and is watching this whole thing next to Elsa?" >"Nope, not at all, sir." >"Iduna and Agnarr couldn't put in the time or effort to think about both of their daughters as they were dying?" >"Nope! They even say Elsa's name multiple times, so it's not like they didn't have the chance." >"Wow, I guess the girls know who the favorite was." >"It is pretty rude, I will agree." >"Very rude dying parents!" >"So anyway, the sight of their parents dying horrifically makes Elsa really upset." >"I don't know what else she was expecting." >"She runs out of the ship, so Anna tries to comfort her by telling her she'll never abandon Elsa and she believes in her and her magic is awesome and that Elsa was a gift from Heaven above to bless their parents with basically just the most perfect child possible and that she'll always support Elsa in anything she does and that she loves Elsa with all her heart and together they're going to solve this mystery and save their kingdom. And Elsa thanks her." >"Aww, how sweet and heartfelt!" >"By throwing her down a hill." >"What." >"Yeah, Elsa's worried that the rest of the journey may be too perilous for Anna and Olaf so she summons an ice canoe around them and then sends the thing just... careening down a hillside at roughly fifty miles an hour." >"Oh my God." >"Yeah, it's pretty much an ice rocket, just shooting past trees and rocks left and right." >"Elsa wanted to keep Anna safe by trapping her in a murder rocket made out of material famous for people slipping on it and shooting it into a forest full of rocks and trees and cliffs and supernatural monsters that Elsa is in no way familiar with?" >"She had to. There was still one Spirit left to deal with and the Dark Sea can be very dangerous." >"Hasn't Elsa kicked the ass of every Spirit she's come across so far? And isn't she capable of freezing large bodies of water as we saw in the first movie?" >"She has and is, yes." >"And isn't she capable of creating life, so she could just make like a huge eagle or dragon or something big enough to fly herself, Anna, and Olaf harmlessly across the Dark Sea?" >"She most definitely could." >"So why does she need to kick Anna down a hill in order to continue the mission?" >"Because I want her to fight a horsey." >"Excuse me?" >"I want Elsa to fight a horsey and I don't want Anna just standing there watching and making it weird." >"I mean you don't have to have her just standing there watching, you could involve her. Make it a really cool fight scene where the sisters work together and show teamwork and it could be a really cool, inspiring, empowering moment where they unite against a powerful enemy and overcome it and--" >"Don't be silly, sir. Two women can't fight a horsey. That's just crazy talk!" >"I just feel like Elsa kicking Anna down a hill because a fantasy quest adventure is dangerous is sort of really harshly unnecessary and also sort of undermines the whole 'stronger together' thing we've been selling for the last six years." >"CRAZY TALK, I SAY!" >"I mean I guess so." >"Crazy movie producer." >"So tell me about this horsey fight, how does it go?" >"Well at first Elsa tries to run across the Dark Sea but she keeps getting hit by waves and sent deep into the water." >"The ice sorceress capable of freezing large bodies of water tries physically running across a stormy sea?" >"She does, sir, yes. And then one time when she's underwater she gets attacked by the Water Spirit, which is a kelpie named Nokk." >"The Water Spirit is seaweed?" >"No, sir, a kelpie is a beast from Celtic mythology. It's basically a horse made of water and it controls the sea." >"Oh, wow." >"And it killed Iduna and Agnarr." >"Whoa, what?" >"I mean it's pretty obvious since this is where they died and it's guarded by a supernatural sea monster that intentionally makes the ocean all stormy and dangerous, which is what killed them." >"That sounds pretty intense. So is Elsa gonna get some some sweet karmic justice on Nokk for killing her parents?" >"Oh, no. Well, not intentionally, at least." >"What do you mean?" >"Well like I said, it's pretty obvious if you think about it, but we're not gonna make a thing out of it. In fact we're not even gonna acknowledge it at all." >"Elsa's going to engage in mortal combat with her parents' murderer and she's not even going to realize it?" >"That's right sir, yes." >"Seems like a weird way to take that potentially massive plot point." >"To be honest, sir, I wanted to make more of a deal out of it but I honestly couldn't think of a way to... write it good." >"I guess it is better to write nothing than to write something disappointing and stupid." >"Exactly!" >"So how about the fight itself? How does Elsa versus Nokk go down?" >"Well Nokk can dissolve and become the water all around Elsa and if she freezes him he can just immediately unfreeze himself and he's just really strong. Basically imagine how dangerous a normal wild horse is, but then also factor in drowning, a shark attack, and a homing torpedo." >"Oh my God, Nokk sounds borderline invincible. Is it gonna be hard for Elsa to beat him?" >"Actually, it's going to be super easy. Barely an inconvenience!" >"How so?" >"Well at one point during the fight Elsa just... rides him." >"Just... rides him?" >"Yep. After getting the everloving snow beaten out of her for ten minutes Elsa gets the idea to hop onto Nokk's back and ride him around shouting 'yee-hah!'" >"The ancient supernatural being who controls the seas themselves is defeated because the woman who must weigh barely over 100 pounds asks for a pony ride?" >"That's right sir, yes." >"I guess that makes sense."

[glaciernps]

Boulder Glacier: 1932-1988

In 1932, many visitors saw Glacier National Park by horseback. One multi-day trip took clients along the north face of Boulder Peak, where they encountered Boulder Glacier. At the time (as seen in the first photo), a cavernous entrance into Boulder Glacier dwarfed the four onlookers.

Fast-forward to 1988, when Ranger Jerry Desanto hiked over Boulder Pass. Using the mountains in the background—Chapman, Cleveland, and Peak 9125—Desanto found where the original 1932 photo was taken and took one of his own. This was one of the first efforts to repeat a glacier photo from early in the park's history.

In the 56 years between these two pictures, the ice cave collapsed, and the glacier receded out of the frame. Today, Boulder Glacier is too small to be considered active.

Repeat glacial photography has been used to show glacial change around the world since the late 1800's. Since Desanto's 1988 photo, the USGS has repeated over 80 photos of 20 different glaciers in Glacier National Park. To see more examples, check out the Glacier Repeat Photos page of the park's website: https://www.nps.gov/…/learn/nature/glacier-repeat-photos.htm

The differences between photos, sometimes taken over 100 years apart, offer dramatic and powerful glimpses into the lives of these alpine glaciers.

Photo Credits: Top: George Grant, GNP Archives, 1932 Bottom: Jerry DeSanto, K. Ross Toole Archives, 1988

These photos of Boulder Glacier and the Boulder Glacier basin were taken on the traditional land of the Amskapi Piikuni, Kootenai, Selis, and Qlispe People in 1932 and 1988

[Top image description: Four people stand at the mouth of an ice cave in Boulder Glacier. Bottom image description: A barren slope where Boulder Glacier used to be.]

[bigfrozenfan]

Frozen III plot / fanfic - part 4

The Secret of the Northuldra

The previous three parts you can find here: part one, part two, additional thoughts, part three.

I do have now a permanent beta-reader for my translation, writing style, possible logical errors and for discussions about my ideas. 

Thanks Anon (i'm in private contact with him) for your support and for being such a huge fan of my fanfiction!

I hope you like this next part of my fanfic. Enjoy.

It has existed for so long. So long that, over the eons, it saw even the stars move and how the world was formed. Time passed, and it was content. It was at one with this world. Then life arose and at some point this began to develop its own consciousness. For a long time everything was good and remained in balance. But this did not stay that way for long and humans began to multiply and slowly but surely change this balance. It sensed this in advance and withdrew to a place high up in the north of the world. This place was not chosen by chance, but it did not look for this place either. That happened just like that. With the help of the elements it was in contact with every place in the world. It observed and learned, collected everything worth knowing and stored the memories of everything that existed. It was a river of knowledge and at some point it decided to intervene.

Humans felt that there was something at this site. Something special. Some of them, however, were more receptive than others and they went to this place because the river attracted them irresistibly. It chose these humans and made them serve itself, influenced them and sent them dreams. It gave them knowledge and wisdom and made sure that everything remained in balance.

As the centuries passed and the river froze, it finally became a glacier as the world changed. The place slowly fell into oblivion and eventually became a legend. But it was still there, and at some point decided to give a living form to four elements and to choose only one of these receptive humans in his short life time to control them all. It gave him a little of its own power for this task and thus ensured that the balance was maintained.

Generations passed, humans someday gave the glacier a name and four large monoliths were made, showing the symbols of the four elements. They had seen them glowing in the sky above the glacier more than once. The family of the One, called the Fifth who was admired and respected by all, made a scarf to pass on the legend to their descendants in a vivid way. It showed just these four symbols, grouped around a central fifth spirit, the symbol of a bridge between nature and mankind.

For some time all stayed that way and man and nature lived in harmony, but humans were the ones who finally changed things. There was a war between two peoples and it had to intervene once again. But in this turmoil something happened and remained undiscovered. Destiny took its course decades later when it, which they called Ahtohallan, finally realized his mistake.

Envy arose and desire for this power they called magic and a human took advantage of Ahtohallan's innocence. One human, in whom Ahtohallan had put too much faith in.

A mistake that in time would cost Ahtohallan dearly. But by then it was already too late.

***

They had given the horses the spurs and rode as fast as they could. They changed the pace from time to time from gallop to fast trot and back again to spare the animals. But at some point the sun was already very high and the heat affected humans and animals alike.

Mattias let his horse recede into the walk and Halima did the same. He patted the horse’s neck and looked over to Halima. “We have already done a good bit more than half of the distance and I think we are well in time. We should be there shortly after sunset. Would you like something to eat?” He reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out an apple, which he held out to her.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile and accepted it. Then she took a hearty bite. “That feels good now,” she muttered with a full mouth shortly afterwards.

He grinned at her and pulled the leather water bag from the pommel, took a deep swallow and then hung it back. “When we are in Arendelle and I have sorted everything out, we could take the time to have dinner together. Shall we go again to that nice tavern up near the mill? Like last time?”

She nodded, “That would be genuinely nice, the food there is really good and afterwards we could go for a walk and look down from the hill onto the fjord. The weather is perfect, and we have almost a full moon.”

“Good idea. Let us do that.” He thought it did not really make sense for Halima to ride back with him in the morning. It would be better if she stayed at home, and they would see each other again the next day, when they had taken Elsa to the castle and the doctors were looking after her. There would be nothing more he could do, and they would have plenty of time for themselves. “Darling, I think I’d better ride back alone with the men and the wagon in the morning, and you stay in Arendelle until I return the day after tomorrow. All this riding is too tiring for you, you’d better rest.”

“Yes, maybe you’re right, I’ll wait for you and then have some time to do some errands,” she said and smiled over to him.

They rode comfortably in silence for some time, enjoying the beautiful landscape that slowly passed by until Mattias’ face slowly darkened and he finally expressed the thoughts that had been running through his mind since they left this morning. “I can’t get the whole thing into my head, you know? I just do not understand it. Not that I understand magic, but I’ve been with the Spirits there in the forest for decades. They didn’t hurt us and they left us in peace. They always assisted the Northuldra. And now this.”

“Apart from the fact that they held you captive,” Halima objected. “You have been away from me for so long, my love, and I have missed you terribly.”

He looked at her and his face brightened again. “I missed you, too, and it somehow kept me alive all this time. I never gave up hope of seeing you again one day and living with you in Arendelle. But year after year went by and…I mean-” he raised his arms helplessly and finally admitted “You’re right. When Queen Anna…well I mean before she was queen…when one day she suddenly appeared with Elsa in the woods in the middle of us and we…I talked to her that evening and I asked her if you were still over at Hudson’s Hearth and-” he faltered and his eyes became damp. “She said yes, you are, and then I asked her if you were… married.”

It took a moment for Halima to process what he had said and replied quietly “There has never been anyone else, Mattias. Only you.” She paused for a moment and then added, “We could have had children, Mattias.”

He looked at her sadly. Then finally he nodded and sighed, “I’m so sorry. I honestly imagined it so often. You and me in a cozy little cottage in Arendelle with a rattle band of feisty little kids.”

Halima said nothing about it. They both knew it was too late for her to have children at that age. They rode on in silence, both lost in thought. Then suddenly, in a low voice, she said, “We could adopt a child.” There was a short pause and Mattias didn’t know how to react to this suggestion. He raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. “What do you think? There are some very nice children at the orphanage in Arendelle who are eager to be welcomed into a good family.”

“You’ve been there?”

“I have nothing else to do and I help out there from time to time. Every Friday afternoon I also tell stories to the little ones there. They love it. Don’t you ever have wondered why I’m never home that day?”

Mattias looked embarrassed and shrugged his shoulders. “I must admit I’ve never thought about it. During the week I have my duties at the castle, as you know now that Queen Anna has made me a general.”

Halima shook her head rebuking and sighed, “You are taking your new duties far too seriously. We are at peace, so what’s there much to talk about?”

Mattias couldn’t think of anything to say. She was right… as always. He nodded and then said “Let’s go there next week together. In my time, the orphanage hadn’t been around very long.”

“Yes, much had changed for the better since King Agnarr and Queen Iduna.” Halima put on a dreamy look.

“You knew them personally?”

“Well, I had no direct contact with the Majesties themselves. But I often saw them in Arendelle, even at the time when they were not yet married to each other. But I got to know Anna well about three years ago, she always is eager to meet and talk with people, she knows almost everyone by name.” She looked at him and asked, “Did you know Iduna was once at this orphanage?”

Mattias shook his head. “Why have we never talked about any of this before? It’s been so many months now since I came back alive from this forest. There is so much to tell. We must change that soon.”

“Nice of you to finally notice.” she rebuked and they looked at each other. Then they both had to laugh about it and he rode a little closer to her horse. He took her hand and looked deep into her eyes, “I love you, Halima. Now at last I can ask you what I wanted to ask you even then and only never dared to. Will you be my wife?”

Halima tore open her mouth and eyes and stared at him. Her heart pounded wildly as she nodded slowly but surely and answered with a broad smile, “Yes, Mattias, my love. I do.”

Mattias couldn’t believe it and a tear ran down his cheek as he bent over and kissed her.

They rode close together like this for quite a while, hand in hand, with a happy smile on their faces.

***

“Yelana, Yelana… something’s happened!”

One of the Northuldra men ran excitedly towards the leader. When he reached her, he stopped in front of her, completely out of breath and rested his hands on his knees, exhausted. Yelana looked at him in a slightly bewildered way and raised an eyebrow. “Calm down, Joná. What’s so important that you run around the village like a madman, shouting loudly and scaring everyone here?”

The man took a deep breath and started talking with his eyes wide open “I was out fishing and I thought to myself, they’ve got a good bite today. Then I looked over the calm waters of the Dark Sea and thought d…”.

Yelana raised her hand and rolled her eyes, “Get to the point, please. You don’t have to tell me about the weather, I can see for myself that today it is almost windless and very warm.”

“Yes… of course, once I start talking then-” Yelana looked at him with a penetrating look. “Excuse me…um…I was rowing towards Ahtohallan and I was already close when I saw something very disturbing. It…”

Yelana interrupted him again. “What were you doing so far out there? It’s forbidden, you know that.”

“Well, I figured since the spirits are gone and all, I’d take a look and…and try to find out something.”

Yelana shook her head, “So, you thought you could find out something about it. You.”

Joná looked at her sheepishly. “I…”

“Well, go on. I’m curious what you think you saw that was so disturbing,” she said somewhat sarcastically and tilted her head a little to one side.

“Ahtohallan is hidden behind a thick wall of fog, just like the one that has kept us locked up here all these years.”

Yelana looked at him at first in disbelief, then lowered her eyes broodingly. After a few moments, she took him by the shoulder and turned him away from the others, who were now looking curiously over at them. Then she whispered to him, “You won’t tell anyone here a word about this, do you hear me? That will remain between us for the time being. This is a serious matter and I first, must think carefully about it. You will also not tell anyone that you were out this far today. If anyone asks you, you tell them something about your catch, something about a big chunk of fish that almost pulled you over the edge of the boat, or something like that. You know what I mean?”

Joná nodded slowly as he stared at her, but couldn’t get another word out.

“Good. Now go back to work and don’t worry. I’m sure it’s half as bad as it looks.” Yelana directed him gently towards the beach and watched him thoughtfully as he walked away.

“This can’t be”, she whispered, lost in thought. Finally, she turned around and slowly walked towards her kota.

***

To be continued...

Remark: I have wondered who or what Ahtohallan is since I first saw Frozen II. Except that it is the source of magic from where Elsa got her powers, is master of the four spirits and cares about the balance of nature, we know nothing about "this being", if it is one. I thought it was about time to describe Ahtohallan from my point of view and I hope you enjoyed my thought process. Since I don't know whether it has a male or female (more likely) nature I have called the being "it". Background of the idea also was to connect Ahtohallan with Gaya, the Mother Earth, as she was called in Final Fantasy. Omnipotent and vulnerable at the same time. It is always the people who harm nature and who are hungry for power, who wage wars and spread without regard for losses. I don't know what WDAS was thinking when they designed Ahtohallan and its purpose, but maybe it was also an approach of Disney to show a connection, between the Spirits and Ahtohallan and a fifth spirit that forms a bridge between these two "worlds", man and nature. The introduction of the Northuldra with the background of a real people, the Sami, certainly had a deeper meaning in this context, especially if you know something about the history and way of life of this indigenous people. The dam is also directly related here.

And...I've now worked out most of the plot of my story.  What I mean to say is that I now know exactly what is going to happen and I've already written the last section of the last chapter. But I can't tell you how many parts I still have to write before I get there.

[photoguide]

This ice cave was in Svínafellsjökull outlet glacier, shot on the 11th of January 2013. The glacier has now receded back so much that this place doesn’t exist any more, it’s just gravel and sand with water. The edge of the glacier lies way back. There is no doubt in my mind that Global climate is changing fast. We see the extremes everywhere. Will we be able to do our part to slow things down? #iceland #glaciers #ig_iceland #doyoutravel #bestplacestogo #phototour #landscapephotography #landscapelovers #wanderlust #globalwarming #environment #blueice #nikon #d810 #igers https://www.instagram.com/p/B9AVY72AR1t/?igshid=1cmbvoyswyi1f