Earth:Ice911
Ice911 is a non-profit organization that aims to slow climate change by restoring ice in the Arctic. It was founded by Dr. Leslie Field in 2008, and is based in Menlo Park, California.[1][2]
Solution
Ice911's approach is to spread hollow silica microspheres (reflective sand) on top of ice in the Arctic.[3] The microspheres raise the reflecting power of polar ice.[4] This reduces the amount of sunlight absorbed, and slows the melting of the ice.[5][6]
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.[7][2] The vision is to cover a strategic area of the Arctic about the size of Belgium with microspheres.[8] Target locations will be near communities that depend on the ice, and routes through which melting ice reaches the wider ocean.[9]
Ice911 aims to rebuild a natural system with the least possible intervention.[5] Ice911's silica microspheres will dissolve over time.[10] This is a form of “soft geoengineering”. It is claimed to be less damaging and more reversible than other techniques.[6][9]
Some scientists are concerned about the risks of restoring Arctic ice, as this approach could have unintended consequences.[8][11] Ice911 maintains that its approach will not drastically alter the ecosystem or pollute the environment.[10]
Testing and Deployment
Since 2008, Ice911 has tested various materials that might provide a protective barrier to the sea ice. Tests were first conducted in laboratories, on a pond in Minnesota, and on lakes in California and Canada.[8][9] In 2015, Ice911 set up its first trial site above the Arctic Circle.[12] In Utqiaġvik, Alaska in 2017 and 2018, Ice911 developed and successfully tested an automated deployment method for covering the ice.[5][2]
Founder and CEO
The founder and CEO of Ice911, Dr. Leslie Field, is an inventor with 54 patents. She founded two Microelectromechanical Systems consulting firms, MEMS Insight and SmallTech Consulting. She is the Director of the Center for Climate Restoration’s Polar Restoration Action Group, and a Lecturer at Stanford University. Dr. Field holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley College of Engineering.[12][2][1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lebeck, Sue (December 6, 2017). "Could this geoengineering venture help save the ice caps?". GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/article/could-geoengineering-venture-help-save-ice-caps. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "ice911.org". http://www.ice911.org.
- ↑ Kramer, David (February 1, 2013). "Scientists alarmed by rapidly shrinking Arctic ice cap". Physics Today. doi:10.1063/PT.3.1878.
- ↑ Lebeck, Sue (January 24, 2014). "Ice911: Buying time for green innovation". GreenBiz. https://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/01/24/ice911-buying-time-green-innovation. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "HBO VICE Special". VICE. September 14, 2018. HBO. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "THE ICE 911 PROJECT: GEOENGINEERING EXPERIMENT BRIEFING". Geoengineering Monitor. April 6, 2018. http://www.geoengineeringmonitor.org/2018/04/ice-911-geoengineering-experiment-briefing/. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ Mattisons, Michelle (May 8, 2018). "Are the new ideas to stop climate change crazy or potential panaceas?". Multibriefs: Exclusive. http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/are-the-new-ideas-to-stop-climate-change-crazy-or-potential-panaceas/engineering. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Milman, Oliver (April 23, 2018). "Could sprinkling sand save the Arctic's shrinking sea ice?". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/23/sprinkling-sand-save-arctic-shrinking-sea-ice. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Schiller, Ben (January 2015). "Could Making Ice Brighter Slow Climate Change?". Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/3040239/could-making-ice-brighter-slow-climate-change. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Del Bello, Lou (January 1, 2018). "Not All Geoengineering Is as Terrifying as You May Think". Futurism. https://futurism.com/soft-approach-geoengineering-could-help-save-planet. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ Lovell, Aaron (November 29, 2012). "Considering "Soft Geoengineering"". New Security Beat. https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2012/11/soft-geoengineering/. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 McGlynn, Daniel (January 17, 2017). "One big reflective band-aid". Berkeley Engineering. https://engineering.berkeley.edu/2017/01/one-big-reflective-band-aid. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
External links
- "Ice911 Website". http://www.ice911.org/team/.
- Field, L.; Ivanova, D.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Mlaker, V.; Sholtz, A.; Decca, R.; Manzara, A.; Johnson, D. et al. (May 21, 2018). "Increasing Arctic Sea Ice Albedo Using Localized Reversible Geoengineering". Earth's Future 6 (6): 882–901. doi:10.1029/2018EF000820.
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