
'In 40 seconds, everything was gone': The Swiss village destroyed by climate change
The Swiss authorities had seen in coming and evacuated the inhabitants 10 days earlier – only one person is missing, which is both miraculous and a tribute to Swiss engineering. But the 300 people who lived there lost everything.
Daniel Ritler had lived all his life in Blatten. The restaurant and delicatessen he ran with his wife Karin now lie under millions of tons of rock and mud, themselves invisible under millions of gallons of water.
'The whole thing happened within 40 seconds. In 40 seconds, everything was gone. Houses that were built in 15 and 16 centuries were buried, all buried', he told me.
The sheep Daniel kept in the pristine alpine pastures above the village also survived, but whether they or the Ritlers will even be able to return is uncertain, perhaps even unlikely. First the geology of the Lotschental valley must stabilise, and that itself could take many years.
This disaster was not caused solely by climate change – erosion and minor earthquakes in these mountains also played their part – but there's little doubt that without the significant warming the Alps have seen in the last few decades it wouldn't have happened.
On current trends, glaciologists confidently predict that by the end of his century, 2100, there will be no more glaciers in Switzerland. This doesn't just mean a lot of melt-water: the ice in a glacier binds together huge quantities of mud and scree and rock, so when the ice melts much more than water comes down a mountainside.
Professor Stuart Lane, a British glaciologist who lives in these mountains, and teaches at the University of Lausanne, says that as good as Swiss engineering may be, you cannot engineer away a problem as big as the one that hit Blatten.
Indeed, difficult decisions may have to be taken about moving whole towns or villages out of the way of collapsing valley walls.
'The only way you can get a glacier back is by increasing snow in winter and reducing ice melt in summer', he said. 'So only with a reversion to the climate of 50-60 years ago will you see glaciers come back again'.
And you don't have to be a top scientist to know how unlikely that is.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
King Charles 'could be first royal in space' after astronaut says 'it's possible'
King Charles has long been a champion of environmental causes and it seems he has now turned his attention to the final frontier, with an astronaut suggesting he could be the first royal in space A British astronaut has sensationally suggested that King Charles might be the first member of the Royal Family to venture into space, stating that it "could be made possible". Tim Peake, a former army officer and the first British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to board the International Space Station, embarked on his six-month Principia mission in May 2013. Charles, who has long been an advocate for environmental causes, may now have set his sights set on the stars. Tim disclosed that he had a conversation with the monarch at Hampton Court earlier this year about the "space environment". Astronaut Tim hinted at the possibility of the King having higher aspirations. Richard Eden of the Mail even speculated that Charles could become the "first royal to take flight into space". Tim shared with him: "We had a meeting earlier this year in Hampton Court about how we can protect the space environment. I think space is the next frontier for him. I'm sure if he would like to go, it could be made possible." He further commented: "The King's passionate about space and realises we need to grasp this opportunity, to start using space, a wonderful environment, to benefit here (Earth)." However, whether King Charles could withstand the rigorous training required of astronauts remains to be seen. Tim's preparation included learning Russian, understanding the science and engineering of spaceflight, and learning various other skills such as minor surgery, dentistry, and survival techniques. He also braved parabolic flights, known as the "vomit comet", to simulate weightlessness, underwent underwater training, and even endured a centrifuge to acclimatise to the g-forces of space launch. This isn't the first instance of the King engaging with space-related matters. In 2023, he hosted astronauts, environmentalists, scientists, and others at a Space Sustainability Event at Buckingham Palace. At this event, King Charles revealed the Astra Carta seal, marking the introduction of the Sustainable Markets Initiative's Astra Carta framework, aimed at fostering a sustainable space industry. In other news, the monarch was seen sporting a kilt during his visit to Caithness in the north of Scotland on Monday (July 28), a region he is particularly fond of, often visiting the nearby Castle of Mey. His trip included a stop at the community of Scrabster on Thurso Bay, where he engaged with people from the nuclear sector. The visit was facilitated by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dounreay nuclear site. Additionally, while in Thurso, he encountered locals including David Mackay and his wife, Jacky, who were notably impressed by the firmness of the King's handshake. Mr Mackay expressed his feelings to the John O'Groat Journal and the Caithness Courier, stating: "I remember the Queen Mother coming to Caithness and now to meet the King, I am honoured – absolutely honoured. "And his handshake is so strong! It's a wonderful thing for Caithness, the fact that royalty have got so much love for the county."


Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
King Charles 'could become first royal in space' after astronaut shares revealing comments
Tim Peake, an ex-army officer turned astronaut who visited the International Space Station in May 2013, revealed that he'd met with Charles this year to discuss the "space environment" A British astronaut has hinted that King Charles could be the first royal in space after revealing that it "could be made possible". Tim Peake is an ex-army officer who became the first British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut to visit the International Space Station, jetting into space for the six-month Principia mission in May 2013. Ever a champion for green causes, Charles now seems to have turned his attention to the final frontier. Tim revealed that he had met with the monarch at Hampton Court earlier this year to discuss the "space environment". Astronaut Tim hinted that the King may have loftier ambitions. Indeed, the Mail's Richard Eden suggested that Charles could even be the "first royal to take flight into space". Tim told him: "We had a meeting earlier this year in Hampton Court about how we can protect the space environment. I think space is the next frontier for him. I'm sure if he would like to go, it could be made possible." He added: "The King's passionate about space and realises we need to grasp this opportunity, to start using space, a wonderful environment, to benefit here (Earth)." Whether the King could endure the gruelling astronaut training may be another matter. Tim not only had to learn Russian and the science and engineering of spaceflight but also a range of other disciplines, including minor surgery, dentistry, and survival training. He also endured parabolic flights, dubbed the "vomit comet", to experience weightlessness, underwater training, and even spent time in a centrifuge to prepare for the g-forces of launch. Yet, it wouldn't be the first time that such a topic has been on the mind of the King. In 2023, he was joined by astronauts, environmentalists, scientists and others at a Space Sustainability Event at Buckingham Palace. During the event, King Charles unveiled the Astra Carta seal as part of the launch of the Sustainable Markets Initiative's Astra Carta framework, an initiative that sought to build a sustainable space industry. In other news, the monarch was recently spotted donning a kilt as he visited Caithness in the north of Scotland on Monday (July 28), an area for which he is known to have a fondness, having been a regular visitor to the nearby Castle of Mey. He visited the settlement of Scrabster on Thurso Bay to meet people in the nuclear sector. Indeed, the visit was hosted by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) as part of proceedings to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dounreay nuclear site. During his visit, he also met with a number of onlookers in Thurso, including David Mackay and his wife, Jacky, who were shocked to discover the strength of the King's handshake. Mr Mackay told the John O'Groat Journal and the Caithness Courier: "I remember the Queen Mother coming to Caithness and now to meet the King, I am honoured – absolutely honoured. "And his handshake is so strong! It's a wonderful thing for Caithness, the fact that royalty have got so much love for the county."


Time Out
a day ago
- Time Out
The London university that is officially the best place in the UK to study philosophy
Like to spend your time pondering the meaning of life? Love debating the existence of free will? Can't stop thinking about whether morality really is objective? Sounds like a philosophy degree would be right up your street. And if you want the best philosophical education that the UK has to offer, Complete University Guide (CUG) has the answer. Last month, the guide published its 2026 edition, ranking British universities based on stuff like entry requirements, student satisfaction, graduate prospects and research quality. Cambridge and Oxford earned the top two spots when it came to which universities are the best all-round, but the guide also ranked unis based on specific subjects. While London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) came third in the overall ranking, it was awarded first place for philosophy. CUG gave LSE a perfect overall score of 100 for its philosophy department, with an entry standards score of 86, a student satisfaction score of 78 and a graduate prospects score of 100. If you were to enrol onto LSE's undergrad philosophy course, you could be studying things like animal ethics, the philosophy of language, how we can control AI or whether time travel is really possible. You'd need to get at least AAA in your A-Levels for a place. For back-up options in the capital, the University College of London and King's College London also ranked highly for their philosophy courses, sitting in fourth and tenth place respectively. The Complete University Guide 2026's best universities to study philosophy in the UK London School of Economics University of Cambridge University of Oxford University College of London (UCL) University of St Andrews University of Warwick University of Durham University of York University of Exeter King's College London