The last days of an ice merchant in Ecuador

Americas Now

On Ecuador’s highest mountain, glaciers are receding and a way of life is vanishing as well. Correspondent Harris Whitbeck reports on The Last Iceman of Chimborazo.

If you measure the distance from its peak to the center of the earth, the Chimborazo Mountain in Ecuador is the highest on Earth. It would even be higher than Mount Everest. But its massive size does not make it immune to the destructive effects of climate change.

Correspondent Harris Whitbeck takes us to Chimborazo and shows us how its shrinking glaciers are affecting the people whose lives have been linked to it for decades.

Chimborazo receives a lot of interest from scientists, tourists and professional mountain climbers. And while the glacier isn’t as big as it once was it is still a crucial link in the ecosystem of the entire continent.

Check out Harris’ report here.

The last days of an ice merchant in Ecuador

On Ecuador’s highest mountain, glaciers are receding and a way of life is vanishing as well. Correspondent Harris Whitbeck reports on The Last Iceman of Chimborazo. If you measure the distance from its peak to the center of the earth, the Chimborazo Mountain in Ecuador is the highest on earth. It would even be higher than Mount Everest. But its massive size does not make it immune to the destructive effects of climate change. Correspondent Harris Whitbeck takes us to Chimborazo and shows us how its shrinking glaciers are affecting the people whose lives have been linked to it for decades. Chimborazo receives a lot of interest from scientists, tourists and professional mountain climbers. And while the glacier isn't as big as it once was it is still a crucial link in the ecosystem of the entire continent. Check out Harris’ report here.