Nature & Environment
Scientists Propose To Freeze Arctic With New Technology
Brooke James
First Posted: Feb 16, 2017 03:30 AM EST
Nature is too far gone. It seems that scientists believe we have to resort to technological means to save the planet.
According to CNN, a team of scientists finally came up with a simple solution to save the melting Arctic -- by making more ice ourselves. The team from Arizona State University proposed to build 10-million wind-powered pumps to draw up water and spill it out on the ice so that it can freeze faster. While the project could be complicated and expensive -- It is estimated to cost around $500 billion -- humans are at a critical stage regarding on the planet's future.
If not addressed, professor of astrophysics Steven Desch said that there could no longer be any summer sea ice by the year 2030. Moreover, there is nothing people can do that could change by that time.
It is not only in the Arctic that humans are having problems, either. According to Reuters, sea ice around Antarctica has also shrunk significantly over the years. This year, sea ice extend came at 2.287 million square kilometers, a fraction smaller than the previous low of 2.290 million square miles from 1997.
So how could people make more ice in the polar regions? The reports theorized that giant water pumps could sit on buoys floating in the Arctic Sea. They could take up water from beneath the ice, store it in a tank, and then spray the water on top of the ice. The top ice sheet would be the coldest part, so getting water on top of the ice could make it freeze faster. The machines could then be powered by the wind, which is plentiful in the region. It could generate a lot of power -- much like what humans do on farms these days.
Desch said that this could already be a significant change, considering that sea ice could only grow 2 to 3 meters in thickness during the winter time.
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First Posted: Feb 16, 2017 03:30 AM EST
Nature is too far gone. It seems that scientists believe we have to resort to technological means to save the planet.
According to CNN, a team of scientists finally came up with a simple solution to save the melting Arctic -- by making more ice ourselves. The team from Arizona State University proposed to build 10-million wind-powered pumps to draw up water and spill it out on the ice so that it can freeze faster. While the project could be complicated and expensive -- It is estimated to cost around $500 billion -- humans are at a critical stage regarding on the planet's future.
If not addressed, professor of astrophysics Steven Desch said that there could no longer be any summer sea ice by the year 2030. Moreover, there is nothing people can do that could change by that time.
It is not only in the Arctic that humans are having problems, either. According to Reuters, sea ice around Antarctica has also shrunk significantly over the years. This year, sea ice extend came at 2.287 million square kilometers, a fraction smaller than the previous low of 2.290 million square miles from 1997.
So how could people make more ice in the polar regions? The reports theorized that giant water pumps could sit on buoys floating in the Arctic Sea. They could take up water from beneath the ice, store it in a tank, and then spray the water on top of the ice. The top ice sheet would be the coldest part, so getting water on top of the ice could make it freeze faster. The machines could then be powered by the wind, which is plentiful in the region. It could generate a lot of power -- much like what humans do on farms these days.
Desch said that this could already be a significant change, considering that sea ice could only grow 2 to 3 meters in thickness during the winter time.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone