From the archives of The Guardian, an online article from May 2005 explains a novel response of one Swiss ski resort to the melting of the glacier above their village that is perhaps worth mentioning. The village of Andermatt is located underneath the Gurschen glacier, which experiences considerable summer melting.
The solution: a 26,900 square foot plastic sheet to put over their ski slope and hopefully stop it from melting away over the summer. Whilst a short term solution to skiing problems, the solution seems far detached from dealing with the causes of a warming climate. The problem isn’t just limited to this location either. As the article states:
“Experts at Zurich University recently estimated that Swiss glaciers had lost about a fifth of their surface area in the past 15 years. In that time, the 2,961-metre high Gurschen glacier has sunk by 20 metres.”
This solution does have its more immediate drawbacks as well. The sheet isn't cheap at a cost of £42,000, however this is no doubt outweighed by the monetary advantages of having a ski resort. However, despite these criticisms, it appears that the sheets are successful; having been tested in Austria the previous year.
Read the full article here: The Guardian
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