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In mountain ranges around the world, glaciers are melting as global temperatures rise. Europes Alps and Pyrenees lost 40% of their glacier volume from 2000 to 2023. These and other icy regions have provided freshwater for people living downstream for centuriesalmost 2 billion people rely on glaciers today. But as glaciers melt faster, they also pose potentially lethal risks. Water from the melting ice often drains into depressions once occupied by the glacier, creating large lakes. Many of these expanding lakes are held in place by precarious ice dams or rock moraines deposited by the glacier over centuries. Too much water behind these dams or a landslide into the lake can break the dam, sending huge volumes of water and debris sweeping down the mountain valleys, wiping out everything in the way. Today, over 10million people across the world are vulnerable to glacial lake outburst floods.In High Mountain Asia alone, these flooding hazards are projected to triple by 2100, especially with continued high emissions. Read full @Nature paper: https://t.co/PsXcyH2jFC pic.twitter.com/RgZ44VF6v4— International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (@ICCInet) May 30, 2024 These risks and the loss of freshwater supplies are some of the reasons the United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers Preservation and March 21 the first World Day for Glaciers. As an earth scientist and a mountain geographer, we study the impact that ice loss can have on the stability of the surrounding mountain slopes and glacial lakes. We see several reasons for increasing concern. Erupting ice dams and landslides Most glacial lakes began forming over a century ago as a result of warming trends since the 1860s, but their abundance and rates of growth have risen rapidly since the 1960s. Many people living in the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, Rocky Mountains, Iceland, and Alaska have experienced glacial lake outburst floods of one type or another. A glacial lake outburst flood in the Himalayas in October 2023 damaged more than 30 bridges and destroyed a 200-foot-high hydropower plant. Residents had little warning. By the time the disaster was over, more than 50 people had died. Juneau, Alaska, has been hit by several flash floods in recent years from a glacial lake dammed by ice on an arm of Mendenhall Glacier. Those floods, including in 2024, were driven by a melting glacier that slowly filled a basin below it until the basins ice dam broke. Avalanches, rockfalls and slope failures can also trigger glacial lake outburst floods. These are growing more common as frozen ground known as permafrost thaws, robbing mountain landscapes of the cryospheric glue that formerly held them together. These slides can create massive waves when they plummet into a lake. The waves can then rupture the ice dam or moraine, unleashing a flood of water, sediment, and debris. That dangerous mix can rush downstream at speeds of 20 to 60 mph, destroying homes and anything else in its path. The casualties of such an event can be staggering. In 1941, a huge wave caused by a snow and ice avalanche that fell into Laguna Palcacocha, a glacial lake in the Peruvian Andes, overtopped the moraine dam that had contained the lake for decades. The resulting flood destroyed one-third of the downstream city of Huaraz and killed between 1,800 and 5,000 people. Teardrop-shaped Lake Palcacocha, shown in this satellite view, has expanded in recent decades. The city of Huaraz, Peru, is just down the valley to the right of the lake. [Image: Google Earth, data from Airbus Data SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCO] In the years since, the danger there has only increased. Laguna Palcacocha has grown to more than 14 times its size in 1941. At the same time, the population of Huaraz has risen to mre than 120,000 inhabitants. A glacial lake outburst flood today could threaten the lives of an estimated 35,000 people living in the waters path. Governments have responded to this widespread and growing threat by developing early warning systems and programs to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes. Some governments have taken steps to lower water levels in the lakes or built flood diversion structures, such as walls of rock-filled wire cages, known as gabions, that divert floodwaters from villages, infrastructure, or agricultural fields. Where the risks cant be managed, communities have been encouraged to use zoning that prohibits building in flood-prone areas. Public education has helped build awareness of the flood risk, but the disasters continue. Flooding from inside and thawing permafrost The dramatic nature of glacial lake outburst floods captures headlines, but those arent the only risks. As scientists expand their understanding of how the worlds icy regions interact with global warming, they are identifying a number of other phenomena that can lead to similarly disastrous events. Englacial conduit floods, for instance, originate inside of glaciers, commonly those on steep slopes. Meltwater can collect inside massive systems of ice caves, or conduits. A sudden surge of water from one cave to another, perhaps triggered by the rapid drainage of a surface pond, can set off a chain reaction that bursts out of the ice as a full-fledged flood. Thawing mountain permafrost can also trigger floods. This permanently frozen mass of rock, ice and soil has been a fixture at altitudes above 19,685 feet for millennia. Freezing helps keep mountains together. But as permafrost thaws, even solid rock becomes less stable and is more prone to breaking, while ice and debris are more likely to become detached and turn into destructive and dangerous debris flows. Thawing permafrost has been increasingly implicated in glacial lake outburst floods because of these new sources of potential triggers. In 2017, nearly a third of the solid rock face of Nepals 20,935-foot Saldim Peak collapsed and fell onto the Langmale glacier below. Heat generated by the friction of rock falling through air melted ice, creating a slurry of rock, debris, and sediment that plummeted into Langmale glacial lake below, resulting in a massive flood. A glacial outburst flood in Barun Valley started when nearly one-third of the face of Saldim Peak in Nepal fell onto Langmale Glacier and slid into a lake. The top image shows the mountain in 2016. The lower shows the same view in 2017. [Figures: Elizabeth Byers (2016)/Alton Byers (2017)] These and other forms of glacier-related floods and hazards are being exacerbated by climate change. Flows of ice and debris from high altitudes and the sudden appearance of meltwater ponds on a glaciers surface are two more examples. Earthquakes can also trigger glacial lake outburst floods. Not only have thousands of lives been lost, but billions of dollars in hydropower facilities and other structures have also been destroyed. A reminder of whats at risk The International Year of Glaciers Preservation and World Day for Glaciers are reminders of the risks and also of who is in harms way. The global population depends on the cryospherethe 10% of the Earths land surface thats covered in ice. But as more glacial lakes form and expand, floods and other risks are rising. A study published in 2024 counted more than 110,000 glacial lakes around the world and determined 10 million peoples lives and homes are at risk from glacial lake outburst floods. The U.N. is encouraging more research into these regions. It also declared 2025 to 2034 the decade of action in cryospheric sciences. Scientists on several continents will be working to understand the risks and find ways to help communities respond to and mitigate the dangers. Suzanne OConnell is a Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth science at Wesleyan University. Alton C. Byers is a faculty research scientist at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado Boulder. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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If you were given $100 and five minutes in a bookstore, which titles would you pick? Thats the premise of Simon & Schusters upcoming web series, Bookstore Blitzthe publishers latest internet-inspired effort to market its authors. And Bookstore Blitz is just the beginning. In a recent interview with The Cuts Cat Zhang, the flagship imprints new publisher, Sean Manning, shared his plans to modernize Simon & Schuster into a media powerhouse. Other series in the works include an awards showstyle interview program called Read Carpet. Were essentially an entertainment company with books at the center. Every Tuesday, we have a new author whos a cultural tastemaker, Manning said. Why arent we using them? Why are we so dependent on outside media? Theres a well-documented appetite for book-related content online. TikToks book community was responsible for approximately 59 million print book sales in 2024, catapulting previously unknown authors into household names. BookToks older, less zany cousin, BookTube, has also long been used to promote new publications and offer free marketing to authors big and small. Many of the top-selling fiction writers in the U.S. todayincluding Colleen Hoover, Sarah J. Maas, and Rebecca Yarrosowe their success in part to going viral on TikTok. A single video in the apps sensationalized style often outperforms traditional advertising, sending authors straight to the top of bestseller lists. BookToks runaway success has forced publishers into the 21st century, pushing them to grow their presence on other social platforms, especially Instagram and Threads. Manning believes his biggest competition is no longer other publishersits social media. Inspired by brands like Vice, which built a following through YouTube documentaries, and The New Yorker with its podcasts and annual festival, Manning told The Cut he envisions cultivating A24-style brand loyaltyfor books. As for Bookstore Blitz, Manning has big ambitions: My hope is that inevitably the series could be a promotional stop like Chicken Shop Date or Hot Ones.
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The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more. Taking the first step towards a new future for your organization can be a daunting effortbut for professional services organizations, the time is now. With 70% of organizations planning to track office attendance in 2025, the corporate real estate landscape is primed for potential. Leaders must fully capitalize on the seismic shifts in the new standard of in-office work and use their spaces to enhance collaboration, productivity, and company purpose. As law firms, in particular, transition back to in-office work, they face the challenge of balancing privacy with collaborative spaces. While these needs seem at odds, a thoughtful approach that integrates flexibility and a strong workplace experience strategy can help firms create environments that attract and retain top talent. Organic interaction opportunities The most transformative ideas often emerge far beyond the confines of a boardroom or the monotony of a desk. Instead, sparks of ingenuity can stem from shared moments with colleagues, like a quick chat in the hallway or a coffee break. These moments that happen in interstitial spaces tend to be afterthoughts. When utilized well, however, an interstitial space can be every bit as impactful as a breakroom or lounge. A global law firm with a two-floor office space is a perfect example. Thanks to an open design and interconnected staircase, team members can communicate quickly and easily with colleagues from other floors. As in-office work models continue to shift and evolve, leaders must prioritize creating dynamic spaces that foster these organic connections. Otherwise, businesses risk missing out on valuable interactions like knowledge sharing, mentorship, and peer-to-peer professional development. Organizations have plenty of options regardless of office footprint and team size. For instance, one of PDRs energy clients wanted to maximize its office potential and facilitate face-to-face interactions. We worked with them to create specific areas, such as green spaces and cafes, where team members could gather away from their desks. Best of all, the design provided these amenities while simultaneously reducing the footprint, ultimately saving the organization money. Providing these spaces solves for challenges like a lack of mentoring or knowledge sharing, while boosting peoples connection to an organizations purposetwo primary imperatives valued by new generations of leadership. Competitive advantages for employee wellness In todays competitive job market, top talent has abundant options. This means transforming the office into a powerful amenity that offers unique valueone that attracts, engages, and retains the best employees. As noted in Wellhubs 2025 State of Work-Life Wellness report, 88% of employees say that wellness-focused workspaces are crucial to their overall job satisfaction. In fact, firms with WELL-certified offices see higher levels of employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Looking to hospitality design is a strong way leaders can begin to rethink their approach to the workplace. A health-centric mindset is especially valuable for the legal profession, where long hours, intense focus, and strong mental and emotional resilience are essential. The industry’s demands can contribute to stress and burnout, resulting in a high turnover rate.Design elements such as access to daylight or biophilic design have a proven effect on employee productivity and mood, minimizing stress while improving performance. A firms leaders must leverage these insights to create spaces that elevate the work experience and provide an undeniable draw to attract new talent and sustain the energy and motivation of those who already drive the firms success. Space utilization Workplace solutions must be tailored to an organizations culture and work styleswhat works for one industry may not suit another. A functional workspace must align with a companys purpose while maximizing efficiency. With high real estate costs and long-term leases posing risks, underutilized space can lead to significant financial waste. A structured visioning process helps organizations optimize their space. For example, one company balanced energy and focus by dedicating its second floor to quiet areas, meeting rooms, and breakout spaces, complementing its high-energy trade floor. Some law firms are repurposing law libraries into collaborative spaces as research shifts to digital, fostering knowledge sharing and mentorship. Transforming these spaces into meeting or common areas increases opportunities to interact while eliminating single-purpose inefficiencies. Organizations can create environments that support productivity, collaboration, and long-term business success by taking a strategic approach to space planning. Future-focus and flexibility The most impactful workplaces are agile and adaptable, ready to support an organizations mission today, tomorrow, and for years to come. But leaders must navigate and accommodate multiple needs and preferences from several generations. That is easier said than done, as our global corporate law office client discovered. It was critical that every square foot for this firm was used with intention and provided a competitive advantage. This client had the added challenge of fusing two teams and bringing them under the same roof. Modular planning helped them create a blend of personalized and collaborative work areas well-suited for the firms new hybrid work style. Another Band 1-ranked global law firm involved a similar challenge, as its team needed to balance internal meetings with client interactions in a limited space. To address this, the firms conference rooms were designed with adjustable walls, allowing them to expand the space for client meetings while maintaining privacy when needed. Flexibility was key to these projects’ success and will only become more vital. Adapting to ongoing shifts helps businesses attract top talent and strengthen their competitive edge. It’s time to prioritize exceptional experiences As leaders look to the many opportunities ahead, its important to remember that peoples needs, workstyles, and preferences in the workplace will continue evolving. Ongoing discussions and a future-focused approach can ensure an organizatios environment provides competitive advantages that match their peoples desires. Simply put, if organizations do not provide people with the types of experiences they crave, they risk missing out on the best and brightest talent. Or they invest capital in a physical workplace that fails to draw employees into their space. Yet with ample real estate opportunities, this is the perfect time to rethink workplace design. Lauri Goodman Lampson is president and CEO of PDR.
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