Strange but true, a Swiss ski resort is tackling the threat of
glacial melting by wrapping part of their piste in a thin layer of
reflective sheeting...
Some 40,000 square feet of the Gurschen Glacier has been protected
from the sun with a layer of thin foil as the local cable car
operator tries to minimise damage to the glacier over the summer
months. Apparently the sheeting covers a snow ramp that is built up
at the beginning of every season, but then melts and has to be
rebuilt for the next year of skiing.
The glacier has sunk an estimated 20 metres over the last 15 years
making it harder to get to the skiing on the glacier, the ramp
provides access, but is expensive to rebuild, hence the protective
sheeting.
Environmentalists are apparently skeptical of the move saying that
changes in environmental policy are needed rather than short-term
measures like this which, in any case, would be totally impractical
on a larger scale. The rate of glacial recession is such, that
glaciers will cease to exist by the end of the century.
You can read the full
story on the BBC News site where there's also a streaming video
report. Thanks to Anthony Dyer for bringing the story to our notice.
