Mount Fuji. It is a destination known for its sprinkled white top, beautifully framed by canvases worldwide. Millions fly thousands of miles to hike the mountain during its snowless window from July to September. Because, after September, the first snow falls. That’s how it has always been for the past 130 years.
All except for this year.
Japan has had its hottest summer yet, reaching 35 degrees in this month alone. At this time of year, temperatures need to be near freezing for the first snow to form. But, why is it so hot?
In 1894, 130 years ago, Japan started recording when the first snow decorated Mount Fuji. It would usually begin during early to mid-October, only stretching to reach the 25th of October on two occasions. It is now mid-November and the snow is still shying away. Sources say that nearly 220,000 people tried to climb the Yoshida trail of the dormant volcano last year. These tourists include underequipped tourists, who get hurt on the trail, forcing helicopters to come to rescue them. Tourists, who litter all over the volcano, contribute to the snowless crisis. But, can tourists really be blamed?
While it’s easy to point fingers, Japan’s temperature increase can be attributed to multiple factors such as the increase in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Even so, Japan has started a quota of 4000 tourists per day, in hopes of letting the area heal.
Mount Fuji is a wake-up call for the underlying climate chaos. Warmer winters are not only a sad occasion where one can’t build a snowman. Warmer winters will have adverse effects on food supply chains, global economies and water supplies. Warmer winters could also affect the melting of ice caps. Ice caps which hold monumental artefacts of ancestors who once crossed Antarctica. Artefacts which could potentially include frozen bacteria, formed from the beginning of time. Untouched, unresearched deadly bacteria are held like ticking bombs in ice-caps, rapidly being unveiled by our actions.
A saying goes, “If all the insects were to disappear from the earth, within 50 years all life on earth would end. If all human beings disappeared from the earth, within 50 years all forms of life would flourish.” Let this be your main takeaway from this article. Many, including myself, have turned a staggering blind eye to this issue. Over the next few generations, many tourist locations could be permanently turned into unrecognizable trash dumps. Without your contribution, the natural wonders of the Earth could cease to exist.
