Eduardo Gold, a 2009 winner in the World Bank’s “100 Ideas to Save the Planet” competition is whitewashing a mountain peak with three of his friends. Yep. Seriously.
No, this is not a ploy to create a paint shortage in order to raise prices. The premise is that global warming is causing glaciers to melt. Peru used to be home for twenty-two percent of all tropical glaciers one of which was on the Chalon Sombrero peak.
The premise is that whitewashing the mountain will reflect solar heat back into space thus allowing the glacier to re-grow. Peru’s climate change chief decided to allow the project to proceed because it’s relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly.
Um okay but I have questions. Wouldn’t the glacier that melted have been relatively white or light colored to begin with? Not to mention cold? Shouldn’t it have been able to deflect enough heat all by itself, thereby not melting into extinction? How is painting the rocks going to work better than an existing field of ice?
Let’s take it a step further. If it does work, will each and every non-snow covered mountain peak be painted in a worldwide effort to put an end to global warming? Should we all go out and paint our roofs too? Go back to cement highways and parking lots instead of macadam?
One more thought. Who’s making the paint? What happens if it comes from China and is recalled because it’s not as environmentally safe as originally claimed?
Note: I’d like to thank Jimmy Ray and Missy Davis for providing the topic of today’s ramble on last night’s Wordmachinist Live Poetry Show. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Go here and find out.
No, this is not a ploy to create a paint shortage in order to raise prices. The premise is that global warming is causing glaciers to melt. Peru used to be home for twenty-two percent of all tropical glaciers one of which was on the Chalon Sombrero peak.
The premise is that whitewashing the mountain will reflect solar heat back into space thus allowing the glacier to re-grow. Peru’s climate change chief decided to allow the project to proceed because it’s relatively inexpensive and environmentally friendly.
Um okay but I have questions. Wouldn’t the glacier that melted have been relatively white or light colored to begin with? Not to mention cold? Shouldn’t it have been able to deflect enough heat all by itself, thereby not melting into extinction? How is painting the rocks going to work better than an existing field of ice?
Let’s take it a step further. If it does work, will each and every non-snow covered mountain peak be painted in a worldwide effort to put an end to global warming? Should we all go out and paint our roofs too? Go back to cement highways and parking lots instead of macadam?
One more thought. Who’s making the paint? What happens if it comes from China and is recalled because it’s not as environmentally safe as originally claimed?
Note: I’d like to thank Jimmy Ray and Missy Davis for providing the topic of today’s ramble on last night’s Wordmachinist Live Poetry Show. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Go here and find out.
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