“When Glaciers are Gone, What is Iceland? Land?”
Forty-five years. That is how long we have known the term “global warming.” It’s likely some of our most recent ancestors would not even know what to make of such a phrase. And yet, for some reason, no one is panicking. Everyone continues about their day, not knowing any boundaries; as Andri Snær Magnason, best-selling Icelandic author of “On Time and Water,” would say, they are chasing an idea of satisfaction, and not questioning if they’ve gone too far.
In his book, Andri puts perspective on what scientists have stated is the greatest crisis mankind has ever faced: the climate crisis.
His book forces us to question whether global warming is a term the human brain simply cannot digest. Do we not have the capacity to wrap our heads around such destruction? To understand the immense trouble we are in? One person sure can: Andri is able to grasp Earth’s critical situation and explain it to us on a comprehensible human scale.
“On Time and Water” artfully captures “time” and “water” through stories of his ancestors. Drawing us in, giving us a peek into his life, and introducing us to some mind-boggling mythology–it will leave you wondering if they’re really myths at all.
Although this is a global tale, Andri ties this story back to his ancestors traversing the Icelandic glacier, exploring new lands, and discovering the icy world that was yet to be mapped. For them, the glaciers were something that seemed permanent–“When the glaciers are gone, what is Iceland? Land?”
One such global story takes a look at Peru. “Two-thirds of their twenty-eight million people in the country live in the coastal desert, dependent on rivers that originate in the Andes at the base of many of these glaciers that are getting smaller every year.” If nothing is done, “glaciers will be an alien phenomenon, rare as a Bengal tiger” and “our grandchildren will look at old maps and try to imagine a mountain made of frozen water.” Do we really want our grandchildren to believe glaciers are one of the 7 Wonders of the World?
Throughout the book, you will feel as if you’re reading some futurist dystopian sci-fi novel, but Andri’s nonfiction poetic storytelling reminds us that this global warming fed death sentence is our current reality. He spends a little over 300 pages of this innovative book desperately pleading with humankind to live in harmony with future generations. Because one day, we will be the ancestors and no one wants to read a story about how we killed the Earth.
“On Time and Water” makes you ponder, How did we get here? . . . Who let it get this bad? . . . Why on Earth is no one living in fear? And the scariest question of all: Where are we heading? Andri answers these questions and more providing us hope in the face of so many frightening uncertainties. And together, we can save our Earth and avoid “sacrificing unborn children in the future.”
Get the scoop on Andri’s book from Kyle Thierman on an upcoming episode of “The Kyle Thierman Show” podcast, featuring an exclusive interview with Andri talking about how we are “the last generation able to save the earth from irreversible destruction.”
While you’re at, avoid becoming akin to flat-earthers, believe in science, and order “On Time and Water” now to read for yourself.