Italy is taking dramatic steps to prevent one of its most threatened glaciers from disappearing completely. The officials have started covering the Presena glacier with a huge security blanket that will protect it from the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun. The 4-millimeter thick insulating fabric spreading over an area of 970 thousand square feet will help in reducing the amount of ice that melts from the summer heat.
Earlier too the nation has taken up such green initiatives to fight the effects of global warming and climate change. In 2008, Italy undertook a smaller-scale test that resulted in 60 percent lesser melting than exposed areas. The portion exposed to direct sun lost an average of 5 feet in thickness. This time around, the project goes bigger and at the end of the season, the thermal material will be rolled back again.
Via: Treehugger