In order to prevent Earth’s delicately-balanced climate system from falling further into disequilibrium, we need to slow down climate warming in the Arctic and prevent the disappearance of sea ice.
At Arctic Ice Project, we’re developing an approach that uses thin coatings of reflective material to enhance the reflectivity of sea ice, which reduces the amount of heat absorbed by the ocean and cools the Arctic. Our work so far has centered around using tiny hollow spheres made of silica– the same compound that makes up the majority of Earth’s sand– to preserve sea ice. The results of preliminary field tests show that our approach can significantly slow down ice melting, and we’re excited to scale up towards larger field tests in the Arctic in the coming years.
However, it’s critical that we answer essential questions about safety and effectiveness before we start employing sea ice reflectivity enhancement in the Arctic. No proposed methods of climate intervention have progressed beyond the research phase thus far– along with the rest of the climate intervention community, we’re committed to making sure that these potentially life-saving methods aren’t rushed or utilized in an irresponsible way. That’s why a major part of our research program focuses on understanding the impact of residual reflective coatings on the health of the marine ecosystem. This research involves long-term testing with a variety of marine species ranging from zooplankton to fish at the top of the food chain– which requires time and substantial funding.
The support we receive from our donors is absolutely essential to our ability to develop a method of climate intervention that has a strong cooling impact on the Arctic without damaging its delicate ecosystem. Every dollar we raise enables us to advance our research, and every bit of research brings us closer to developing a safe and effective method of sea ice reflectivity enhancement that can help shape a brighter future for our planet.
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