Oct. 8, 2025 7 AM PT
To the editor: I discovered the current Los Angeles Occasions article on California glaciers alarmist and one-sided (“As California glaciers disappear, people will see ice-free peaks exposed for the first time in millennia,” Oct. 1). The article appears to depend on a slender focus of proof, which is then extrapolated to make broader factors.
As somebody with a background in geology and Earth science, I wish to provide a unique perspective: Glaciers naturally undergo cycles of advancing and retreating. Suggesting that the local weather could be mounted to a selected state indefinitely is just not scientific, because the local weather has all the time been in flux. Whereas it’s true that glaciers are presently retreating, historic patterns point out that they might advance once more sooner or later.
When articles persistently body local weather subjects in apocalyptic phrases — quoting researchers who say glaciers are “[dying] off” — it dangers disengaging readers, who begin to say, “yeah, proper, no matter.” The Occasions ought to encourage extra measured reporting that acknowledges each the complexity of local weather programs and the longstanding patterns of change.
Chris Richgels, Scottsdale, Ariz.
