October 26

KILIAN JORNET FOUNDATION LAUNCHED. FIRST PROJECT: GLACIERS MONITORING.

Posted by Héctor Rubio on October 26, 2020 in trail running spain | Leave a comment

KILIAN JORNET FOUNDATION: A project against climate warming is born. The Kilian Jornet Foundation has been launched with the main mission of preserving the mountains and their environment. The mountain athlete Kilian Jornet will be the visible face of this foundation that wants to work in direct actions, financing research and raising awareness about the need to preserve our planet.

KILIAN JORNET FOUNDATION: PRESERVATION MOUNTAINS AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS

The Foundation’s main mission is the preservation of mountains and their enviroment. The Foundation will have three lines of work to preserve the mountain: direct actions, awareness raising and research funding.

For the first project, the Foundation is associated with the WORLD GLACIER MONITORING SERVICE (WGMS) at the University of Zurich to support the study and research of the glacier retreat.

“The Kilian Jornet Foundation wants to focus its first project on the study and investigation of one of the most visible climate change phenomena: the retreat of glaciers. Studying this retreat is key to developing projects to conserve these ice masses that hold between 60 and 80% of the planet’s fresh water.“

MOUNTAINS MATTER AND WE MUST PROTECT THEM

“In our global system, mountains play a key role: without them and their environment there would be no life, so it is essential to preserve them and manage them sustainably. Mountain environments cover 25% of the Earth’s surface and all its inhabitants depend on them directly or indirectly“

Among other things, the mountains provide us with fresh water and natural resources. Today these mountain environments are threatened by climate change, and these change directly affect the mountain environments, but also all those who depend on them: fauna, flora and human beings.

As you know, mountains have played an essential role in the athletic and personal growth of Kilian Jornet, which has become his passion and priority.

KILIAN JORNET:
“Since I was a child I have been educated about the need to protect the environment and I have done everything in my hand. Now I want to take a step further and help projects, organizations and individuals who are dedicated to preserving the planet. The planet needs all the help we can provide. “

“I have climbed mountains and crossed glaciers all my life, and I have been able to observe how the effects of climate change have been devastating. We all have a role to reverse this trend and make sure that next generations can not only play in the mountains but live on a healthy planet. The high mountain and glaciers are an essential part of life on our planet; From the water cycle to biodiversity, and our foundation aims to work for the protection of these regions and their role in the health of the planet. “

STATEMENTS PAU YLLA, FOUNDATION DIRECTOR:
“The Kilian Jornet Foundation is born to achieve goals that individually we are not able to achieve, to share knowledge and skills with the common goal of preserving the mountain and its environment and fighting what puts it in danger. This protection will help us increase the resilience of its inhabitants as well as the main resources provided by the mountains: Food, water or biodiversity conservation. Climate and other change must be addressed comprehensively and it is essential to gather data and raise awareness of the importance of small actions for the change in the global system affecting mountains.”

KILIAN JORNET FOUNDATION: THREE AXES ACTING.
The Kilian Jornet Foundation wants to focus its first project on the study and research of one of the most visible phenomena of climate change: The retreat of the glaciers. Studying this retreat is key to developing projects to conserve these ice masses that contain between 60 and 80% of the planet’s freshwater.

For this purpose, the Kilian Jornet Foundation has partnered with the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) at Zurich University in Switzerland. For more than 125 years, this program has been collecting standardized observations of glaciers changes, as well as information about their fluctuation. The funds collected will go to various initiatives promoted by the World Glacier Monitoring Service, from devices and measuring equipment for researchers to educational programs for schools, among others.
LA FOUNDATION WILL WORK IN THREE MAIN AREAS TO HELP PRESERVE MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENTS:

Direct actions to preserve the mountains without polluting: The Foundation wants to create or finance projects aimed at solving environmental problems in the mountains.
Raise awareness and education: Through its own communication channels and external ones, the Foundation will ensure awareness of the importance of preserving the environment, using education to establish a better relationship between humans and mountains.
Research: Invest in studies and monitoring services to better understand the effects of climate change on mountain environments and establish the best possible tools to address them.

WE ARE ALL PART OF LA SOLUTION
As Kilian Jornet explained: “Protecting the mountains is something we can all do. From very small things like collecting trash when you go to the mountain to bigger defense actions, we can all be part of this collective solution. “

THE HARDEST CLIMB. PERSONAL LETTER BY KILIAN JORNET
Since I was a child, I have always insisted on the importance of protecting the environment. Throughout my life, I have climbed mountains, I have travelled glaciers, and I have lived in first person the devastating effects of climate change. We all have a role in reversing this trend and getting the next generations not only to enjoy the mountains, but also to live on a healthier planet.

I love mountains, and for years I have been aware of the importance of preserving them. However, I am one of the great destroyers of the environment. My lifestyle during the last decade as a professional athlete has been linked to frantic travel around the world and, thus, I have directly contributed to accelerating global warming.

Mountains are essential to our life. They provide the water that is stored in glaciers, rivers and lakes. We provide resources such as food and renewable energy. A third of the planet’s forests are found in mountainous regions, as well as more than half of the biodiversity hotspots.

It is scary to think how global warming can affect the planet in the coming decades or how pollution can change biodiversity, our way of feeding or the difficulty of finding water to drink. This fear has made me realize that I need to change my lifestyle, be more consistent with the love I profess for the mountains and share it with you.

Therefore, I want to take a step further with the creation of the Kilian Jornet Foundation, which will collaborate with projects, organizations and people who are dedicated to preserving the planet.
Do we go up together?

All info about the foundation ca be found here: https://www.kilianjornetfoundation.org/

KILIAN JORNET FOUNDATION: GALLERY PHOTOS