Klimawandel: Test: Schafswolle statt Plastik als Gletscherschutz
Schafswolle stoppt das Gletscherschmelzen genauso gut wie Plastik – und schont dabei die Umwelt. Warum das den Schwund aber kaum stoppen kann.
The Alps' glaciers are melting rapidly, with some areas attempting to halt the process using plastic sheets. A recent experiment conducted at the University of Lausanne has shown that woolen sheep covers can function just as effectively. The environmental group Summit Foundation carried out the test in Les Diablerets, Switzerland, covering 100 square meters of glacier area with woolen sheep covers and another equal-sized field with synthetic geotextiles.
The experiment, dubbed "Keep it Wool," aims to reduce glacier melting by 50-70 percent compared to the synthetic sheets. Using wool poses no risk of synthetic fibers entering the water cycle, as wool is a natural, renewable, and biodegradable resource that is often overlooked. Though glacier covers cannot prevent retreat, they do provide some protection, but the methods are too complex and expensive.
According to the organization, textile covers cover only about 0.02 percent of Switzerland's glacier area, while they are responsible for preserving approximately 300,000 cubic meters of snow annually, which is a small amount compared to the nearly one billion cubic meters lost each year. From 2000 to 2024, Swiss glaciers have lost nearly 40 percent of their volume.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
