Latest news with #BethanDavies
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Swiss Village Devastated By Glacier Collapse
A massive landslide triggered by the collapse of a glacier buried much of the Alpine village of Blatten in Switzerland's Lötschental valley on Wednesday, destroying 90% of the town and leaving a 64-year-old man missing, authorities said. Search-and-rescue efforts were suspended Thursday due to unstable debris as the region grapples with the aftermath of what glaciologists describe as a climate-driven disaster. The collapse of a large chunk of the Birch Glacier, located above Blatten, sent ice, rock, and mud crashing down the mountainside, flattening homes and submerging buildings in brownish sludge, according to video footage and satellite images. The debris also blocked the Lonza River, causing whatever buildings were left standing to be flooded by the backup of the river. State Councilor Stéphane Ganzer told Radio Télévision Suisse that the disaster obliterated nearly the entire village. Bethan Davies, a glaciology professor at Newcastle University, described the event to ABC News as a 'cascading disaster.' The glacier had been destabilized since last week when millions of pounds of rock debris fell onto its surface. Warm temperatures on Monday exacerbated the instability, accelerating the collapse. 'This is a marked acceleration,' Davies said. 'Lots of cracks started to form, a sign of the tension in the ice.' Authorities evacuated about 300 residents and livestock earlier this month after observing increased glacier melt and debris flow, a precaution that likely saved lives. Mathieu Morlighem, a glaciologist at Dartmouth College, told ABC News the collapse was likely caused by thawing permafrost, which acts as 'glue' to stabilize mountain rock. 'What happened to Birch Glacier is what we would expect from rising temperatures in the Alps and elsewhere,' Morlighem said, comparing it to a 2023 landslide in Switzerland's Silvretta Alps but noting Birch Glacier's larger scale due to excessive ice and meltwater. One resident told Reuters she 'lost everything' in the mudslide, while another said, 'You can't tell that there was ever a settlement there.' Werner Bellwald, a resident of the nearby hamlet of Ried, said the landslide wiped out his 1654-built generational family home. The Cantonal Police of Valais halted search efforts for the missing man Thursday afternoon, citing falling debris. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter is scheduled to visit the area on Friday. Glaciologists link the disaster to climate change, which has accelerated glacier retreat in Switzerland. The country, home to Europe's most glaciers, lost 4% of its glacier volume in 2023, following a record 6% in 2022, The Washington Post reported. Average temperatures in the Swiss Alps have risen 3 degrees Celsius since the 1970s, said Daniel Farinotti, a glaciologist at ETH Zurich, who warned in March, 'Switzerland's glaciers could vanish completely by 2100.' A 2024 International Cryosphere Climate Initiative report predicts one-third of European Alps glaciers will disappear by 2050, even without further warming. Davies noted that warming climates increase mountain landslides by melting permafrost and altering freeze-thaw cycles. Sridhar Anandakrishnan, a glaciologist at Pennsylvania State University, told ABC News that glacial degradation can also form unstable lakes, as seen in the Himalayas and Andes. The Blatten disaster underscores the growing risks to Alpine communities. Glacierologists are urging further study of climate-driven glacier instability to prevent future catastrophes.
South Wales Argus
23-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Popular business at town's container market to expand
Joy House Creations, run by 29-year-old Bethan Davies, has been a popular feature at Ffos Caerffili since April 2024. The business offers mindfulness craft workshops, including pottery painting, knitting, and needle felting, encouraging participants to slow down, converse, and take a break from the hectic world. After a successful first year at the town's container market, the business is now set to move into larger premises to accommodate its growing customer base. Bethan said: "Our pottery classes and our paint and sip sessions are the most popular. "I love working with the community and the buzz of excitement when hosting workshops is fantastic. "There's something for everyone, and I've had so much positive feedback from people in Caerphilly since I set up here." Joy House Creations was among the first businesses at Ffos Caerffili and has gained popularity with regular weekly workshops and special events, often collaborating with other traders in the market. Bethan, a Cardiff University Fine Art graduate, started hosting spoon carving workshops around Cardiff, inspired by her love for creativity. She believes the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a newfound interest in mental health and wellbeing. She said: "I have always enjoyed the process of slowing down. "After Covid, I wanted to pass that on to others. "Art is what I love but it's equally important to encourage conversation and community." Joy House Creations began in 2020, operating in rented spaces around the capital. However, Bethan soon realised she wanted her own space in an area needing greater access to affordable creativity. When the opportunity arose to set up in Ffos Caerffili, she seized it. Her success in the area has given her the confidence to expand the store in the market. Bethan said a more spacious unit will open new opportunities to host larger groups for workshops and act as an affordable space for local creatives to rent. She said: "I couldn't think of a better place to set up for the future, which is why I have ambitions to move to a bigger unit in the market. "Ffos is the perfect spot for Joy House and I want to continue working with the people here." Joy House Creations is set to move into a larger unit at Ffos Caerffili in June 2025. For more information about business opportunities at Ffos Caerffili, contact management at hello@ or fill out the contact form at
Business News Wales
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Inclusive Crafts Business with Mental Wellbeing Focus Set for Expansion
Bethan Davies, owner of the craft and well-being business Joy House Creations An entrepreneur running mindfulness craft workshops is expanding into larger premises at Ffos Caerffili after a successful first year at the town's container market. Joy House Creations, managed by Bethan Davies, 29, has been a staple of creativity at Ffos Caerffili since it opened its doors in April 2024. Through guided workshops featuring activities such as pottery painting, knitting, or needle felting, Bethan encourages her guests to slow down, have conversations, and take a break from the busy world. During its first year in a permanent home at Ffos Caerffili, Bethan has welcomed hundreds of people into Joy House Creations and is now ready to make the move into a larger unit to accommodate her growing list of regular customers. 'Our pottery classes and our paint and sip sessions are the most popular,' Bethan said. 'I love working with the community and the buzz of excitement when hosting workshops is fantastic. There's something for everyone, and I've had so much positive feedback from people in Caerphilly since I set up here.' Joy House Creations was among the group of inaugural businesses at Ffos Caerffili and has built its popularity with regular weekly workshops and special events, often working in collaboration with other traders in the market. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Fine Art, Bethan's love for creativity motivated her to begin hosting spoon carving workshops around Cardiff. She believes that the Covid-19 pandemic sparked a newfound interest in mental health and wellbeing. 'I have always enjoyed the process of slowing down. After Covid, I wanted to pass that on to others. Art is what I love but it's equally important to encourage conversation and community,' she said. Joy House Creations opened for business in 2020 initially operating in rented spaces around the capital, but soon Bethan realised that she wanted her own space. Crucially, she wanted to set up in an area where there is a need for greater access to affordable creativity. When an opportunity came to set up in Ffos Caerffili, she jumped at the chance. Her success in the area has given her the confidence to look ambitiously ahead to expanding the store in the market. Bethan said a more spacious unit will open new opportunities to host larger groups for workshops and act as an affordable space for local creatives to rent. 'I couldn't think of a better place to set up for the future, which is why I have ambitions to move to a bigger unit in the market,' Bethan said. 'Ffos is the perfect spot for Joy House and I want to continue working with the people here.' Joy House Creations is set to make her move into a larger unit at Ffos Caerffili in June 2025.
