The only thing that can cause this type of devastation is water. There is currently a very severe El Nino taking over the climate of Earth. It is not possible to passively deny the existence of an ever growing danger that is Earth's physics. Too many people will be lost. This avalanche is a tragedy beyond explanation.
The other force that can cause this level of devastation is a volcano's lahar. This type of devastation was witnessed when Mount St. Helen's erupted. The tragedy at the border of China and Nepal is not from a volcano. This is a huge amount of melt water following rains causing floods.
Why is this so severe? Because the land is loose when meltwater replaces a glacier as the overwhelming BALANCE.
Glaciers are measured as "mass balance." The physics of glaciers and their stability is well known to any glaciologist. Glaciologists know about glacier stability as they walk them on a regular basis and know their lives hang in the balance when a glacier appears too unstable to trust.
Gravity acts on Earth's troposphere. When land becomes unstable because of an event such as rain, meltwater leading to flooding the land below the instability is in danger. The course of such land instability can be realized and mapped.
Mountains have a formula for stability. Think of mountains as unstable by nature. The center of gravity of a mountain to prevent land slides is realized by the land surrounding it. If the land is flat and large the flatlands will push back against the mountain and stabilize any movement. I don't mean there is an intervention that can stabilize mountains, I am saying there is a way to look at mountains to determine the dangers/potential dangers before the people, but, more so before the government and governance of these villages and towns are effected.
Governments no longer have the luxury of pointing a finger at the climate and simply try to reassure the people as if they know best. It is obvious they don't. By pure denial of the urgency of a long standing decline in climate due to heating caused by anthropogenic sources it is highly immoral and negligent. Governments must trust science and scientists. There are ways of acting before these tragedies to protect the lives of people.
This El Nino will resolve and there will be tragedy. But, it will return. It will return over and over bringing stronger and stronger events such as this. The heat has to have expression. Earth's expression of heat is violence. There is no other way. There must be vigilance and ACTION to realize the people are in danger and must be protected through knowledge that exists.
DENIAL OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS AND ALLOWING IT TO PLAY OUT IS NOT AN OPTION.
While this event occurred quickly and violently, the prediction is possible. There is knowledge that if given validity could save lives. Evacuation and abandonment of areas of land will be a necessity and it may mean cities and towns have to be condemned before such an event occurs. This was going to happen.
THE FUTURE has to be different than the present. The present course is not safe for life. The change needed looking to end this climate crisis is not impossible. There is certain mitigation in ending the pollution of greenhouse gases. Not simply carbon dioxide, but, the pollution of all greenhouse gases has to be addressed. Scientists must become the voice of safety to the people and their planet. Ending the pollution of greenhouse gases is no longer deniable.
Greenhouse gases can be a toxin when levels cause the warming of this planet to the point of death of life.
By AFP and AP
Hundreds of people are missing (click here) and at least 95 have been killed after an avalanche of ice and rock...
