Plans to wrap Swiss glacier with insulating foam fails to address climate change

Andermatt, Switzerland – Plans to wrap one of Switzerland’s shrinking Alpine glaciers with insulating foam only deals with the implications of global warming and more importantly fails to address the causes of climate change, warns WWF. 
 
Swiss technicians are to use special insulating foam to wrap a glacier that has been shrinking over the summer months, according to Carlo Danioth, in charge of ski slopes at the central Swiss resort of Andermatt.

The Gurschen glacier is to be partly covered with 3,000km2 of foam starting in May to stop it melting further, a phenomenon attributed to global warming. 
 
"If the trial is a success, we'll wrap the other part of the glacier too," Danioth said. 
 
WWF-Switzerland says that it understands why tourist authorities want to preserve their frozen assets from the consequences of global warming, but it warns that those responsible should also realize that putting glaciers under a blanket can neither hide nor solve the problems of climate change. 
 
On the contrary, the conservation organization says that the pilot project in Andermatt demonstrates how expensive and disproportionate such protective actions are. 
 
A study published last year by Zurich University estimated that the country's glaciers had lost about a fifth of their surface area over the past 15 years. The study, carried out using satellite data, also found that the rate of ice-loss was accelerating. A number of other Swiss ski resorts are reported to be considering similar measures. 
 
WWF-Switzerland wants to see the implementation of effective climate protection measures. This would result in the reduction of climate warming along with huge economic advantages. Useful sanctions to stop the emission of greenhouse gases, and with that the global warming, are to increase energy efficiency and to reduce the waste of fossil energy resources. 
 
For further information:
Adrian Stiefel, Head of Climate Change Programme
WWF-Switzerland
Tel: +41 1 297 22 51
E-Mail: adrian.stiefel@wwf.ch