First Person

Melting Ice A Reminder of Time Running Out

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Check out the latest pics (gathered by our blogger-on-the-ground Emily Gertz) of the melting Kenyan herders at the climate talks in Copenhagen. Oxfam commissioned the three-meter high sculptures — of a Maasai man and  woman holding a baby — to highlight the human cost of climate change.

The woman with a baby once had distinct facial features. Photo by Ainhoa Goma/Oxfam International.
The woman with a baby once had distinct facial features. Photo by Ainhoa Goma/Oxfam International.
The latest view of the melting Maasai woman holding a baby. Photos by Emily Gertz.
Her face has since melted away. Photo by Emily Gertz.

What once were detailed depictions are now shapeless blocks of ice. As they wane away, the sculptures  serve as a powerful reminder to negotiators — who must  move fast during the remainder of this week if they want to help poor communities survive climate change.

What the warrior looks like now.
Those details are barely visible now. Photo by Emily Gertz.
The warror once has a distinct staff and necklace. Photo by Ainhoa Goma/Oxfam International
The warrior once had a detailed staff and necklace. Photo by Ainhoa Goma/Oxfam International
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