Kelcie Walther, Author at State of the Planet

Kelcie Walther

I am an undergraduate in Columbia University's Department of Ecology, Environmental Biology and Evolutionary Biology. I love the natural sciences and all things plant-related and believe that effectively communicating science will help us save the world!

Recent Posts

Leaders from Glaciated Regions Highlight Importance of Women, Youth, and Indigenous Peoples at COP26

They discussed adaptation strategies for mountain regions.

by |November 12, 2021
A very large ship is dwarfed by an expansive ice sheet.

Antarctica Glacier Named for Glasgow Climate Negotiations at COP26

The Antarctic Place Naming Commission has agreed to name glaciers on the Southern Continent after city locations of past and present climate treaties.

by |November 8, 2021
Two tiny flies sit on wet snow.

Scientist Questions Ethics of Collecting Endangered Insects for Study

As glaciers disappear, so too do the insects that call them home. So an ecologist has questioned whether traditional methods of killing insects to study them is sustainable.

by |November 4, 2021
Bright blue ice sits in a pool of water backed by a dramatic sky.

Quantifying the Ecosystem Services of Glaciers Highlights Their Importance to Humankind

Scientists at the University of Iceland seek to measure the ecological and societal benefits of glacial ecosystems.

by |September 17, 2021
Misty blue mountains stand in the background of a bright silver river cutting through dark rocks.

As the Greenland Ice Sheet Retreats, Mercury is Being Released From the Bedrock Below

Scientists have found that Greenland’s bedrock is rich with mercury in some areas — and as the ice sheet rapidly melts, that mercury is being released into local waters.

by |July 15, 2021
A waterfall in the foreground with a lake and craggy mountains in the background.

New Guidance Gives National Parks Tools to Make Tough Decisions on Climate Change

Guidance released in April aims to have parks incorporate climate change scenarios into all future planning, recognizing that it won’t be possible to save everything.

by |June 24, 2021
Lush green mountains in the background are juxtaposed with a wasteland of cut lumber in the foreground.

Protecting Temperate Old-Growth Rainforest is Key for a Sustainable Future

As tensions run high between environmental activists, loggers and government in British Columbia, Canada, there may be more at risk than we think.

by |June 9, 2021
A small, picturesque town is nestled in a lush, green valley.

A Tale of Two Alpine Towns: Study Highlights How Different Tourism Strategies Influence Resilience

Fifty years of data from two towns in the Austrian Alps suggest that the community that focused solely on winter tourism was less resilient.

by |June 2, 2021
A photograph shows Earth from space.

Melting Glaciers Have Shifted the Earth’s Axis

New research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that polar drift experienced in the 1990s was caused by a redistribution of water from glaciers to oceans.

by |May 19, 2021
An image captured through a microscope shows two tiny fungi who look like people with long long limbs doing jumping jacks.

Glacier Melt Leads to Increased Carbon Dioxide Levels Due to These Tiny Fungi

New research links reduced glacier cover to higher rates of fungal decomposition of organic material. If these rates continue to rise, it could further disrupt the carbon cycle.

by |April 30, 2021