China is Using 'Blankets' to Cover Glaciers to Stop Them from Melting Due to Global Warming
Blankets are generally used to provide heat but did you know they could be used to cool things down? They are using these blankets as a preventive method to slow down the melting of the glaciers because of global warming. While the surface temperature of the earth will definitely impact the rate glaciers melt, removing the sun’s direct heat will slow down the melting. Local population around Rhone Glacier have been trekking up since 2009 to cover the glaciers in the Southern Swiss Alps in white thermal blankets. Glaciers are a source of freshwater for rivers and faster melting would mean two things: first, faster depletion of the limited freshwater resources; second, excess water will flow into the oceans causing the sea-levels to rise and subsequent flooding of all coastal areas.
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