Could there be a correlation between climatic dynamics and the development of the COVID 19 pandemic that has hit the planet or is it just science fiction hypotheses, based on inconsistent data?
There is no scientific evidence on this aspect. However, what worries scientists most is the possibility that some diseases can migrate, change or evolve due to global warming. Today those who live in Rome or Venice do not worry much about the spread of malaria or dengue fever, but with the slow northward drift of the tropical zone and the consequent spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes will perhaps have to start doing so in the future.
The “Ice Memory” project, launched over three years ago with the aim of collecting ice samples from various glacial sites around the world to create a database in Antarctica, represents a great scientific undertaking. What difficulties are you encountering in carrying out the project and what relevant results have you achieved so far?
The project is progressing well, despite the fact that we had some difficulties created by bad weather in the autumn that forced us to postpone a mission on the Grand Combin and the crisis linked to the COVID-19 emergency that forces us to stay home.
How is the team of researchers participating in the project made up and what profile do they have?
We have very motivated young people with very diversified skills; chemists, geologists, physicists, all with a boundless passion for the mountains and an eye to the future.
What are the next steps “in the field”?
We must return to the Grand Combin as soon as possible and then carry out some missions in low-altitude glaciers, such as the Marmolada and the Calderone, on the Gran Sasso, the southernmost glacier in Europe.
In the outdoor world, sensitivity to the relationship between man and the environment is apparently very high, both on the industry side and on the user side of the products. Are there any recommendations that, as scientists, you would like to make to the outdoor world for an effective synergy between the market and the world of research?
I think the outdoor world should support scientific projects that aim at sustainability. It is possible to do a lot even with very few. It would be a win-win situation for everyone.
What are the prospects today, realistically, for a young natural science enthusiast who intends to devote himself to research in the environmental field?
Passion and determination are the masters. Many young people have understood how the climate crisis is the real challenge of the future. Here is a great possibility that presents itself to modern post-COVID-19 society, is to try to rebuild their social and economic systems to make them better, more resilient and less dependent on fossil sources. Health, equity, environmental and resource protection will be essential to revive the post-pandemic global economy.