KATHMANDU—In a development that has left both mountaineers and insurance adjusters scratching their heads, scientists have announced that climate change likely played a role in triggering last week’s catastrophic glacier collapse in Nepal's Himalayas. The event, which sent an entire mountainside of ice and rock thundering into the valley below, has been provisionally attributed to a phenomenon known as 'glacial avulsion,' a term that sounds less like a natural disaster and more like the title of a low-budget horror film. According to the study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, rising temperatures have caused the glacier to become increasingly unstable, with meltwater seeping into the ground and lubricating the rock bed beneath. This, in turn, has made the entire glacial structure more susceptible to sudden shifts, much like a bag of week-old salad in your fridge finally giving way to that one rogue cherry tomato. But here’s where the story takes an unexpected turn: if scientists can now link warm weather to a spontaneous glacial slide, what’s to stop them from blaming every unexpected sneeze, burnt toast, or missed train on the same cause? The report stops short of suggesting that your morning commute was delayed because the polar ice caps melted a bit faster than usual, but the implication is clear: climate change is now the world’s favorite scapegoat for everything from avalanches to awkward silences at dinner parties. Of course, the study’s authors are quick to remind us that correlation does not equal causation. They note that the glacier collapse could have been triggered by any number of factors, including a sudden shift in the Earth's magnetic field, a particularly grumpy yeti, or even a group of over-enthusiastic base camp trekkers doing the Macarena on the moraine. But no, they insist, it was almost certainly the warming temperatures. Meanwhile, the Nepalese government has announced plans to install giant industrial fans on all its major peaks, hoping that the resulting breeze will keep the ice cool enough to avoid future collapses. The initiative, which is expected to cost billions of dollars, has been met with a mix of skepticism and hope, with one local Sherpa noting, 'We already have fans—they’re called the monsoon winds.' As the debate rages on, scientists are now investigating whether other natural disasters—such as the occasional sinkhole that swallows a car in downtown Los Angeles—might also be linked to climate change. The answer, they say, is 'probably, but we’re not going to commit to that just yet.' In the meantime, residents of the region are being advised to keep an eye on any nearby glaciers, and to have a pre-packed bag ready in case their local ice mass decides to go on an unannounced holiday. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this whole mess, it’s that Mother Nature has a very dry sense of humor.