Can we stop the Arctic meltdown?

This week’s Upside series focused in on efforts to rescue the environment, from the polar caps to the tropics - and the ocean depthsThis week, The Upside has been focused on hopeful news about the environment, which will be a welcome reprieve for anyone who read Mayer Hillman’s interview in the Guardian in which he concluded that climate change meant “we’re doomed”.As part of the Arctic Dispatches series, reporting from Alaska, Oliver Milman asked whether the catastrophic melting of Arctic ice could be reversed using an unlikely substance – sand.Our only strategy at present seems to be to tell people to stop burning fossil fuels. It’s a good idea, but it is going to need a lot more than that to stop the Arctic’s sea ice from disappearing.Steven Desch, lead physicistOne of the side effects of the introduction of the plastic bag is that it killed off centuries-old crafts all over the world. When I was growing up in Somaliland, every mother (or servant, for the rich) took these beautiful baskets made of wicker-like material to markets every morning. The baskets were reusable and handwoven exclusively by women who made a decent living from their craft.And then one-time-use plastic came. The art of basket-weaving died off. I don’t think there is a single skilled basket-weaver left in Somaliland today. Continue reading...