The melting sounds of the Mer de Glace have been captured on ice vinyl by network organisation 1% for the Planet. This project commemorates the end of the UNESCO 2025 International Year of Glacier Preservation. The vinyl also launches 1% for the Glaciers, a €100,000 fundraising initiative to support NGOs protecting glacial ecosystems.
A Dying Glacier on Ice Vinyl
The Voice of the Glaciers is the melting sounds of the Mer de Glace, captured on vinyl. The record itself is made of ice, so that the sound fades as the ice melts. The record can only be played once, and then it is lost. This is a beautiful metaphor for the unstable condition of our remaining glaciers. 1% for the Planet collaborated with creative agency MNSTR and musicians Flavien Burger and Aurelien Buiron. The voice of DJ Mosimann adds a stark message to the glacier’s true sounds.
Jean-Baptiste Bosson, Glaciologist, gave his thoughts on the glacier preservation project: ‘This project lies at the intersection of art, philanthropy, and commitment to glaciers. Artists, companies and nonprofits have volunteered to create the micro-project ‘The Voice of the Glaciers.’
Creation of the Ice Record
Glaciologists collected the melt-water for the record on the Mer de Glace. A local technician etched the exact audio grooves into a silicone mould of the real vinyl. The melt-water filled the mould which, once frozen, created the ice vinyl. When placed on a turntable it plays the sounds of the glacier, and slowly fades as the record melts.
Mosimann, DJ/producer and voice of the Glaciers, said: ‘Protecting a glacier means preserving what remains fragile and pure in this world. The Voice of the Glaciers is pressed on a medium as ephemeral as itself: a vinyl made of ice that melts as time passes.’
Fundraising Initiative
The Voice of the Glaciers launches the first fundraising initiative of 1% for the Glaciers. This initiative supports six NGOs: Protect Our Winters, France Nature Environment, Marge Sauvage, L’École des Pôles, Mountain Wilderness, and Mountain Riders. The ultimate aim is to raise €100,000 to support the protection of glacial and alpine ecosystems.
Isabelle Susini, Director of 1% for the Planet France, said: ‘Associations and scientists are mobilising to study the new environments revealed by retreating glaciers. They are working on advocacy to protect these sensitive areas at the European level. And they are raising awareness among high school students about climate issues through the concrete example of glaciers. It is time for us to come together and take action to protect these ecosystems, which are now in great danger.’
Glacier Preservation: Why We Should Care
Glaciers hold 75% of the world’s freshwater, and are often considered the world’s ‘water towers’. However rising global temperature is causing their rapid decline. A 52% projected loss by 2100 will have a huge impact on the 1.9 billion people they support. Their decline has a global impact, threatening water security, food production, energy systems and climate regulation. Rapid glacier melt also significantly heightens flood risk for downstream communities in alpine locations such as the Andes or Himalayas.
A Call to Action
The ice vinyl project is both a tribute to the glaciers we have already lost and a call to action to protect what remains. The campaign is so impactful because of the real love for the glaciers that shines through. The words of the people involved, the beautiful imagery and the sounds of the glacier itself, remind us of the loss we are facing, and the cascading global impacts it will have.
If you would like to donate to support 1% for the Glaciers, you can do so here.
