Science Quickly Could Freezing Arctic Sea Ice Combat Climate Change?
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May 16, 2025 Alec Luhn, a Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Fellow and feature author on Arctic sea ice in Scientific American, shares his insights from reporting in the Arctic. He discusses the alarming 40% shrinkage of year-round sea ice and controversial geoengineering solutions like Real Ice aimed at refreezing it. Luhn examines the potential benefits and drawbacks of these initiatives as the U.K. government invests in experimental approaches. He also highlights the ecological impacts on Arctic ecosystems and Indigenous communities relying on this increasingly fragile environment.
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Real Ice Arctic Ice Thickening Demo
- Alec Luhn snowmobiled onto Arctic sea ice with Real Ice team to observe ice thickening efforts.
- They pumped seawater onto ice, which froze into new layers, practically demonstrating artificial ice growth.
Sea Ice's Crucial Reflective Role
- Arctic sea ice reflects up to 90% of sunlight, keeping the planet cool.
- Melting ice exposes ocean water that absorbs 90% of sunlight, escalating warming and melting.
Scaling Sea Ice Thickening Efforts
- Real Ice scaled up sea ice thickening from 250,000 square meters to planned 100 square kilometers.
- Aiming for one million square kilometers could suffice to prevent summer Arctic ice loss.