The Silent Giant Shaping Our Planet’s Future
Ice seems ordinary in daily life, something our refrigerators dispense on command. But for individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores why ice is far more than a household convenience and how its disappearance shapes our shared future.
I do not think we spend much time thinking about ice. The fancy refrigerator now provides it through a chute in the door. We no longer have to scrape it off the freezer walls. If we have a party, we can buy bags of the stuff. But beyond these conveniences, ice plays a much larger role than we tend to realize.
Although we rarely consider it, ice plays a critical role in our planet’s future. Currently, ice covers about ten percent of Earth’s surface, with only twelve percent considered permanent. Seeing glaciers collapse on television may distract us from the significance of this melting, but flooding and climate change are real dangers, as places like Maine are already discovering. The reduction in ice coverage since the last Ice Age demonstrates that change is possible, and our ongoing actions—such as deforestation and the denial of climate science—intensify these risks.
Some maps show the possibility of submerging half of the United States, from Maine to the Rockies. That would make California the place to be, even given the fires and floods. Not a very inviting prospect. These projections highlight just how severe the long‑term effects of ice melt could be for our country.
These are predictions for the future, say around the year 2100. That is about seventy‑five years from now. Clearly, I will not be impacted. My children are unlikely to be around. My grandchildren would have to be living into their hundreds, which is also not very likely. So, dear great‑great‑grandchildren, you are in trouble.
Hmm. I am the great‑great‑grandchild of an English couple, likely living in service and hoping for a way out. I am quite certain that they did not find a way out of service, but that their children probably found a way into the city, and their children found trades, giving them the ability to cross the ocean. Generally, that is how things go.
Unlike generational progress, which is typically upward, our environmental actions reflect a different story. We are not ensuring the planet’s improvement for future generations. This disconnect sits at the heart of the current crisis.
I will propose that we examine motivation—specifically why we value caring for our children and fostering their progress. This desire to advance our children is often celebrated as progress. However, the environment around me does not inspire the same motivation. While I take steps such as not throwing trash from the car, tending to my garden, and keeping city storm drains clear to protect the Chesapeake Bay, these individual actions, though important, are small compared to the broader needs of the planet.
Want to explore more about climate, motivation, and collective responsibility? Visit Psychology Today’s insights on how motivation shapes our actions and Greater Good’s research on how collective action supports well‑being.
If this reflection stirs thoughts about responsibility, legacy, or emotional resilience in the face of global change, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support clarity, groundedness, and meaningful action.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst