We Climbed to See a Glacier – and Faced a Harsh Truth

In 2021, I took part in a Climbing for Climate initiative to visit the Calderone Glacier in the Abruzzo region of Italy. We set out expecting to witness a natural wonder: something majestic and awe-inspiring.

Instead, what we found was a myth. What once existed was now only visible through photographs, like one from 2016, showing a glacier that had dramatically receded in just a few years. What stood before us that day was a stark, painful reality - one that demands urgent action, both individually and collectively.

During the gathering, representatives from civil society organizations, university leaders, and researchers from across the region shared their perspectives. One moment, in particular, stayed with me.

Our rector showed us an image and asked: “What fits into 20 kilometers on a map? A town? A stretch of road? Maybe not much.” Then he invited us to imagine 20 kilometers upward. That, he reminded us, is the entire atmosphere: our planet’s thin, fragile shield that makes life possible, and one we are rapidly destroying.

We spoke about the climate crisis, the urgency of transitioning to a circular economy, and the future of agriculture in a warming world. We reflected on who consumes the most, and who suffers the most from the consequences. We discussed the silence of mainstream media, the lack of ambitious policies, and the overwhelming influence of powerful industries like oil and gas.

These conversations deeply resonated with me, as they echoed discussions I’ve been part of in Argentina, my home country, where environmental degradation, inequality, and climate vulnerability are part of everyday life.

Because, ultimately, the Earth is one, and I hope this truth becomes something that finally unites us.

Yet more powerful than any speech that day was the voice of nature herself. She showed us the consequences of our choices. The melting glacier wasn’t just a metaphor—it was a physical, visible message. One she echoes constantly through droughts, floods, deforestation, and the loss of biodiversity.

These aren’t distant or abstract problems.
They are real.
They are ours.

We are responsible - through both our actions and our inaction.

From experience to action

This realization shapes both my personal and professional path. I was born in Argentina, and I am currently living in Sardinia, where I work as a post-doctoral researcher on a project titled Innovation Nudging for Seeding the Ecological Transition at the University of Sassari. My research and personal interests are deeply connected to sustainability, climate adaptation, and social engagement.

This is why I want to become a DesirMED Ambassador, especially given that the program already includes a unit on DR3: Sardinia Region, Italy, where I currently live and work. Joining the ambassador program would allow me to connect academic insights with local and global action, bridging science, institutions, and community engagement, and helping raise awareness, mobilize participation, and support transformative change.

Through my academic and volunteer experiences (ranging from Climbing for Climate initiatives in Abruzzo, to Plastic Free actions and beach clean-ups in Sardinia, and grassroots environmental activism in Argentina) I have seen how civic engagement and environmental education can foster a culture of sustainability.

I believe adaptation is not only a response to climate change, but a wake-up call: a reminder that our systems are vulnerable, that we are part of them, and that real change requires shifting mindsets, behaviours, and narratives at individual, collective, and institutional levels.

Because we cannot wait for someone else to act.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Andrea