Olympic ice returns home to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A piece of ice from Slovenia's highest mountain, which travelled to Beijing for the Olympic Winter Games, to raise awareness on global warming, has returned to Slovenia as water.

The piece of ice from the 2,864 meter-high Triglav mountain started its journey on Dec. 17. "Toli" (Triglav Olympic Legendary Ice) traveled across 10 countries to China, where it melted, and the water was then stored in three bottles. One of these will be exhibited in the Beijing Olympic Museum, and another in the Slovenian Alpine Museum, near the Triglav mountain, , the Slovenian news agency STA reported.

Just below the summit of Triglav is an area which is normally covered by permanent ice and snow, but over the past 75 years global warming has reduced this area from around 14 hectares to only 1 hectare.

"According to EEA (European Environment Agency), 9 out of 10 Alpine glaciers could melt away by 2100, and with them 7 out of 10 Alpine winter retreats. The future of our winters and winter sports is melting before our eyes," said the Slovenian Olympic Committee, one of the organizers of the awareness mission.