Tehran: Sheep's wool blankets are being tested on a Swiss glacier as a potential alternative to synthetic covers traditionally used to slow ice melt, with promising initial results suggesting a comparable protective effect, Swissinfo reported Wednesday. The Summit Foundation implemented this innovative trial by placing two 100-square-meter wool blankets on Glacier 3000 in Les Diablerets, western Switzerland, in late June.

According to Anadolu Agency, the trial is a collaborative effort involving the University of Lausanne and supervised by the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos) to assess whether wool can protect ice as effectively as conventional synthetic tarpaulins. Initial observations from the foundation indicate a similar effect to that of synthetic covers, which are known to reduce ice melt by 50% to 70% in the areas they cover.

The foundation highlighted the environmental benefits of using wool, noting that it is natural, renewable, and biodegradable, thereby reducing the risk of synthetic particles entering the water cycle. However, the NGO emphasized that despite these potential advantages, such coverings cannot independently stop glacier retreat caused by climate change.

Currently, protective textiles cover only about 0.02% of the total glacier area, which significantly limits their impact on overall glacier loss, underscoring the need for broader climate action.