In the Los Angeles Times, Edmund Sanders reports on Mt. Kenya’s steadily diminishing ice cap. Beyond the obvious environmental impact of the melting ice cap (which sits atop Africa’s second tallest peak), the destruction represents a blow to the faith of the many Kenyans who worship the mountain:
The stories of Mt. Kenya’s worshipers put a human face on a brewing standoff between developed countries, which are blamed for contributing to most of the world’s climate change through carbon emissions and other pollution, and developing regions, such as Africa, which is seeking $67 billion a year in compensation for the economic and social costs.
Worshipers of Mt. Kenya have already incorporated the melting ice into their oral traditions, said Jeffrey Fadiman, a San Jose State University professor who spent months on the majestic landmark collecting the oral histories of local tribes.
“Elders see the glacier melting as a punishment for younger people abandoning and violating their traditions,” Fadiman said.
Read the full article here.
