Arctic Ice Project
{{Short description|Non-profit Organization}}{{Orphan|date=October 2018}}
The Arctic Ice Project is a Silicon Valley non-profit research organization that aims to slow climate change by restoring ice in the Arctic. Their scientific research in ice preservation technologies represents an opportunity to buy up to 15 more years for the world's economies to decarbonize. The organization has built an innovation network of prestigious external scientific partnerships that include the top specialists and organizations in the climate field in order to coordinate a moonshot effort to stop Arctic ice melt in key portions of the Arctic, our planet's heat-shield.
Solution
The Arctic Ice Project's approach is to spread hollow silica microspheres (reflective sand) on top of ice in the Arctic.{{Cite news|title=Scientists alarmed by rapidly shrinking Arctic ice cap|last=Kramer|first=David|date=February 1, 2013|publisher=Physics Today|doi=10.1063/PT.3.1878}} The microspheres raise the reflecting power of polar ice.{{Cite news|url= https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/01/24/ice911-buying-time-green-innovation|title=Ice911: Buying time for green innovation|last=Lebeck|first=Sue|date=January 24, 2014|accessdate=October 4, 2018|publisher=GreenBiz}} This reduces the amount of sunlight absorbed, and slows the melting of the ice.{{Cite episode |url=http://www.arcticiceproject.org/video-gallery |access-date =October 4, 2018|series=VICE |title=HBO VICE Special| network =HBO |date=September 14, 2018}}{{Cite news|url= http://www.geoengineeringmonitor.org/2018/04/ice-911-geoengineering-experiment-briefing/ |title=THE ICE 911 PROJECT: GEOENGINEERING EXPERIMENT BRIEFING|date=April 6, 2018|accessdate=October 10, 2018|publisher=Geoengineering Monitor}}
The microspheres are bright white, and each one is 35 microns in diameter (less than the diameter of a human hair). The microspheres are filled with air and they float.{{Cite news|url= http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/are-the-new-ideas-to-stop-climate-change-crazy-or-potential-panaceas/engineering|title=Are the new ideas to stop climate change crazy or potential panaceas?|last=Mattisons|first=Michelle|date=May 8, 2018|accessdate=October 14, 2018|publisher=Multibriefs: Exclusive}}{{cite web|url=http://www.arcticiceproject.org|website=Arctic Ice Project|title=arcticiceproject.org}} The vision is to cover a strategic area of the Arctic about the size of Belgium with microspheres.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/23/sprinkling-sand-save-arctic-shrinking-sea-ice |title=Could sprinkling sand save the Arctic's shrinking sea ice?|last=Milman|first=Oliver|date=April 23, 2018|accessdate=October 4, 2018|publisher=The Guardian}} Target locations will be near communities that depend on the ice, and routes through which melting ice reaches the wider ocean.{{Cite news|url= https://www.fastcompany.com/3040239/could-making-ice-brighter-slow-climate-change|title=Could Making Ice Brighter Slow Climate Change?|last=Schiller|first=Ben|date=January 2015|accessdate=October 4, 2018|publisher=Fast Company}}
The Arctic Ice Project aims to rebuild a natural system with the least possible intervention. The Arctic Ice Project's silica microspheres will dissolve over time.{{Cite news|url= https://futurism.com/soft-approach-geoengineering-could-help-save-planet |title=Not All Geoengineering Is as Terrifying as You May Think|last=Del Bello|first=Lou|date=January 1, 2018|accessdate=October 4, 2018|publisher=Futurism}} This is a form of “soft geoengineering”. It is claimed to be less damaging and more reversible than other techniques.
Some scientists are concerned about the risks of restoring Arctic ice, as this approach could have unintended consequences.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/11/soft-geoengineering/|title=Considering "Soft Geoengineering"|last=Lovell|first=Aaron|date=November 29, 2012|accessdate=October 4, 2018|publisher=New Security Beat}} The Arctic Ice Project maintains that its approach will not drastically alter the ecosystem or pollute the environment.
].{{Cite news|url= https://engineering.berkeley.edu/2017/01/one-big-reflective-band-aid|title=One big reflective band-aid|last=McGlynn|first=Daniel|date=January 17, 2017|accessdate=October 11, 2018|publisher=Berkeley Engineering}}{{Cite news|url= https://www.greenbiz.com/article/could-geoengineering-venture-help-save-ice-caps |title=Could this geoengineering venture help save the ice caps?|last=Lebeck|first=Sue|date=December 6, 2017|accessdate=October 10, 2018|publisher=GreenBiz}}
References
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External links
- {{cite web|url=http://www.arcticiceproject.org/team/|website=Arctic Ice Project|title=Arctic Ice Project Website}}
- {{cite journal|title=Increasing Arctic Sea Ice Albedo Using Localized Reversible Geoengineering|journal=Earth's Future|volume=6|issue=6|pages=882–901|date=May 21, 2018|doi=10.1029/2018EF000820|last1=Field|first1=L.|last2=Ivanova|first2=D.|last3=Bhattacharyya|first3=S.|last4=Mlaker|first4=V.|last5=Sholtz|first5=A.|last6=Decca|first6=R.|last7=Manzara|first7=A.|last8=Johnson|first8=D.|last9=Christodoulou|first9=E.|last10=Walter|first10=P.|last11=Katuri|first11=K.|doi-access=free}}