Scientists covered 200 square metres of a Swiss glacier with sheep’s wool; early tests found...

A sheep wool-covered snow protection test site is pictured during a press conference presenting the results of the "Keep It Wool" glacier protection experiment in Les Diablerets, Switzerland A natural wool covering placed over 200 square metres of high-altitude Alpine ice has proved as effective at slowing summer melting as conventional synthetic tarpaulins, offering a possible biodegradable alternative to plastic sheets. Initial results from the "Keep It Wool" trial on the Tsanfleuron Glacier in western Switzerland show that prototype wool blankets protected snow and ice from heat about as well as plastic geotextiles. According to a Reuters report published on 3 September 2026, researchers found that the covers significantly slowed ice loss during the warmer summer months. However, project organisers and glaciologists stress that physical covers can only protect very small areas. Just about 0.02 per cent of Switzerland's total glacier surface is currently covered with protective materials. This means the method is mainly useful for protecting ski areas or vulnerable infrastructure, rather than providing a wider solution to global warming.Coverings shield only a minute fraction of ...