Science & Tech
These less-than-conventional methods might be the future front lines of fighting climate change
The Arctic Ice Project is looking to spread small glass beads on the surface of ice in the Arctic in order to make it more reflective. Reflecting the glare of the sun off the ice results in less sunlight absorbed, meaning less ice melted.
While asbestos is known as being incredibly harmful to humans, a new idea from MIT suggests the naturally occurring fibres can be a useful tool against climate change. Scientists say that the compounds are a great resource for taking large amounts of carbon dioxide out of the air.
Read more from the MIT Technology Review
After the eruption of a volcano, the earth is shown to cool, due to the volcanic material creating a “protective sun-shield.” Scientists are looking to mimic that reaction by pumping things like seawater into the cloud layer in order to protect against some of the effects of global warming.
Melting ice creates warmer water, which in turn melts more ice. Michael Wolovick, a glaciologist at Princeton University is proposing to create underwater walls in order to keep the warmer water away from the edges of the remaining Arctic ice.
A team of scientists from Arizona State University have a simple solution to deal with melting ice in the Arctic: refreezing it. Their plan is to build 10 million wind-powered pumps that would pump water onto the ice during the winter, allowing it to freeze and add to the thickness of the ice cap.
Eduardo Gold, one of the 26 winners from about 1,700 submissions in the “100 Ideas to Save the Planet” competition that was held in 2009, is leading the charge to return a corner of the Peruvian Andes to its former colour by painting it white. The idea is that the white mountain tops will reflect sunlight back back into space as opposed to it being absorbed into the earth.
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