Global warming has resulted in the rapid melting of the world’s ice sheets. This in turn is causing an irreversible rise in sea levels, which will eventually have grave repercussions for our planet, if not controlled now. For years, scientists have been thinking of ideas to prevent the melting of ice caps, but who could have guessed that the solution would be in the form of a cloth sheet? The melting of glaciers causes a rise in sea levels, reduction in natural water resources and even act as catalysts to natural disasters. Only recently, the breaking off of a part of the Nanda Devi glacier in Uttarakhand, India, due to the melting of ice sheets caused severe floods. Measures to curb global warming and carbon emissions have been in place for ages but to not much avail. The time has now come to find innovative solutions that help us save our planet. Are cent example of this was observed in Sweden. The Helags glacier in Scandinavia was covered with a cloth sheet made from corn starch and wool. This prevented the direct rays of the sun from melting the glacier. In recent years, a rapid reduction in height of glaciers has been observed across the globe. In the aftermath of the experiment,a statement by Swedish Politician, Erik Huss revealed that the strategy was a success and that, “This sheet actually protected 3.5-4 meters of the glacier from melting”. Covering the glaciers with cloth sheets during the summer months is a much more cost-effective option as compared to other solutions possible solutions that are available. These solutions include pumping seawater back into the glaciers for refreezing. While effective, these methods cost billions of dollars to create and implement as opposed to simple solutions in the form of cloth sheets Scientists and environmentalists are increasingly concerned about the exponential rise in global warming. Erik Huss believes that what matters is “doing something” to prevent climate change and raise awareness about global warming. The cloth sheet experiment depicts a very real way in which glacier melting can be controlled. It also clearly highlights the global crisis we face due to the rapid melting of these ice sheets. Even so, these are only temporary solutions to the crisis at hand. No real change can be made unless conscious efforts are taken by the people to truly curb global warming.
10 Jan 2022
Aadhya Venkatesh
