Reflecting on Our Scientific Journey and Next Steps
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Arctic Ice Project will be concluding its research and winding down the organization.
More than a decade ago, we started with the innovative idea of using a reflective material to protect and restore Arctic sea ice—the planet’s natural heat shield and a critical factor in combating climate change. What began as a grassroots effort grew into one of the most highly studied global initiatives to slow the rate of climate change through surface albedo modification.
From the onset, we committed to moving forward only if we could conclusively demonstrate both the safety and effectiveness of our approach. While our climate impact simulations have shown promising results (with a new scientific paper forthcoming), recent ecotoxicological tests have revealed potential risks to the Arctic food chain. Our initial approach was to continue research aimed at addressing these concerns. Upon further reflection, however, the Board decided that the combination of these new test results with broad skepticism toward geoengineering, resistance to introducing new materials into the Arctic Ocean, and the increasingly challenging funding environment (and paucity of federal research dollars), the most realistic path was to conclude our research.
As stewards of this important work, we are focused on maximizing its impact even as we wind down and committed to sharing our findings widely so that others can build upon our efforts. Over the coming months we will:
—Document potential alternative materials
—Publish the results of the Beaufort Gyre climate modeling
—Release a capstone scientific paper that integrates our complete dataset and findings
—Make all of our research freely available on our website to be sure it continues to benefit the global climate science community
As a nonprofit, our responsibility is to maximize the public benefits of our work, and this will include active cooperation with other researchers to leverage our findings and support continued innovation in the climate science field. We will distribute any remaining assets to other climate research organizations to further the fight against climate change to ensure that our research yields future benefits to people and the planet.
We always knew that Arctic Ice Project was an ambitious “moonshot,” but that does not make concluding our work any less bittersweet. This brings us back to you—our companions on this journey. Along with our generous donors, we are profoundly grateful to the many talented and committed volunteers who have served as members of our Scientific Advisory Board and Arctic Research Development Committee over the years. Their immense knowledge, intellect, and energy strengthened our small but mighty team and were instrumental in propelling our efforts forward.
We are incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together. The unwavering interest, encouragement, and financial support of our community made this journey possible, and your shared dedication to protecting future generations inspired us every step of the way. We are truly grateful to have walked this road with you.
While this chapter is ending, we look forward to new paths to forge in our shared mission to protect our planet. Hopefully, you will as well.
With our deepest gratitude,
The Arctic Ice Project Team
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