The polar ice caps are melting, and it is, to put it mildly, a problem. The clock is ticking to prevent potential catastrophe, and, as such, scientists are exploring rather unconventional solutions.Â
Underwater curtains An idea that has been discussed for several years is to erect underwater curtains that would "prevent warm water from lapping at the base of the ice shelves," said Nature. "This warm water is the biggest threat as it causes the base of the floating ice to melt and the glacier to become unstable," glaciologist Michael Wolovick said to NBC News. Any underwater curtains would likely be built by robots, but the logistics of such a construction still pose major questions. "No one can say yet what such curtains would be made of, how they would be secured or how to stop them interfering with other vital local ecosystem services," said The Economist.
Blocking solar radiation One of the more controversial methods is to use solar geoengineering to block the sun. Scientists have discussed the possibility of spraying aerosols into the atmosphere that would reflect light and, therefore, prevent warming.Â
"Exploring ways to reflect sunlight into space before it's absorbed into Earth's climate system could help buy us more time to address climate change and avoid or delay climate tipping points," Paul Goddard, an assistant research scientist in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Indiana University, said to Phys.org.Â
While the method shows promise, many are concerned about the ecological ramifications of blocking the sun. Modifying solar radiation is "not necessary, viable, prudent or sufficiently safe, given the limited scientific understanding and uncertainty about the potential impacts and unintended consequences," said Andrea Hinwood, the chief scientist at the U.N. Environment Program, in a report.
Getting to the source, not the symptom Some say there's no true solution to polar melting and it's best to simply attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change found that increases in Antarctic ice melting are largely unavoidable even with intervention. "Unfortunately, it's not great news," said Kaitlin Naughten, one of the paper's authors. |