Moonshot proposals to save the planet’s ice sheets, including giant underwater sea curtains and refreezing Arctic ice, are gaining popularity as the planet heats up. But none of the most high-profile ideas are viable — worse, they may cause irreparable harm, according to a new study published Tuesday.
The melting of the vast polar ice sheets has become a byword for climate change; these giant frozen landscapes hold enough water to cause catastrophic sea level rise and are experiencing alarming changes as temperatures increase.
Ideas to artificially cool the Arctic and Antarctic, known as “polar geoengineering,” are gaining profile as a result. Academics have launched research projects, start-ups are proliferating and investors are piling in.
Geoengineering advocates say the urgency of the climate crisis makes it vital to research these potential fixes. The authors of the report, published in the journal Frontiers in Science, say they are a dangerous distraction.
“These ideas are often well-intentioned, but they’re flawed,” said Martin Siegert, a glaciologist at the University of Exeter and a study author. He and a team of international scientists analyzed five of the most well-publicized ideas:
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