Neat (no ice)

New reports from environment scientists conclude that the melting of the artic ice cap is accelerating. In addition to moderating temperature by absorbing and releasing heat (thereby melting and freezing), the fact that the ice cap is white reduces solar energy absorbed by the earth because a lot of solar energy is reflected (80%). As warmer temperatures melt more snow and ice, more of the sun's heat is absorbed, which melts more snow, and so on until there is no snow left.

Some want to fix the symptoms instead of the disease. They want to capture carbon dioxide from the air and store it, thereby reducing the greenhouse effect. How long until one of these dim bulbs suggests spreading white plastic at the equator, where it would reflect much more solar energy (because there is so much more there)? Their spinners will argue how these shades will help the poor in third world countries, likely adding something shady about freedom and democracy. Here's a "solution" that even the petrochemical-plastics industry can welcome.