Storing around 75% of the world’s freshwater and regulating rivers and biodiversity, glaciers are vital for the well-being of nearly 1.9 billion people downstream. Unfortunately, the global rise in temperatures threatens their survival, with up to 52% projected to melt by 2100. In other words, humanity’s water resources, food production, energy security, and global ecosystems will be greatly affected.
Despite UNESCO proclaiming 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, far too few voices have risen to protect them. Threatened by the rising temperatures and doomed to melt away, 1% for the Planet France teamed up with m_nstr_ and composers Flavien Berger and Aurelien Buiron for an initiative that allows glaciers to express themselves.
Titled “The Voice of Glaciers,” the campaign turns the sounds of the melting glaciers into a plea for help, converting their tragic fate — if no actions are taken — into an audio experience. Captured on the Mer de Glace in the French Alps, the team recorded the glacier’s cracks, groans, and trickles and fused these haunting sounds onto an ice vinyl disc. Speaking on behalf of all glaciers, the record carries a very important and urgent message: “To save us is to save yourselves.”
Materialized with the help of multi-talented artist Mosimann, the disc is set to melt as it plays, symbolizing the urgent need to act in order to protect the world’s glaciers. “The Voice of the Glaciers — pressed on a medium as ephemeral as itself: a vinyl made of ice that melts as time passes,” commented the DJ.
“Associations and scientists are mobilizing to study the new environments revealed by retreating glaciers, working on advocacy to protect these sensitive areas at the European level, and raising awareness among high school students about climate issues through the concrete example of glaciers. It is time for us to come together and take action to protect these ecosystems, which are now in great danger,” explained Isabelle Susini, Director 1% for the Planet France.
The campaign was implemented to mark the launch of “1% for the Glaciers,” a collective fundraising initiative that brings under the same umbrella six NGOs. With the goal of raising €100,000, Protect Our Winters, France Nature Environnement, Marge Sauvage, L’École des Pôles, Mountain Wilderness, and Mountain Riders, and sponsored by glaciologist Heidi Sevestre, the project aims to help these organizations in their efforts to preserve European glaciers.
“The Voice of the Glaciers” not only draws attention to glaciers’ current state but also seeks to inspire people to engage in a collective action to save the ice mountains. The ice vinyl was played on Monday morning in Paris, allowing it to literally melt as it produced sound during a live artistic performance. Hopefully, its gradual disappearance creates enough awareness to prompt people to financially support the participating NGOs in preserving glaciers’ well-being.
CREDITS
Brand: 1% for the Planet France
Agency: m_nstr_
