And you thought silver foil was for cooking…

If you are travelling in Switzerland this summer, and see what you believe to be a glacier wrapped in a huge sheet of Bacofoil, your eyes are probably not deceiving you. Believe it or not, authorities in the country are reportedly planning to wrap some of its glaciers in tin foil in an effort to stop them from melting. Many of Switzerland’s glaciers are shrinking because of rising temperatures, with mahy scientists predicting that this could have a severe environmental impact in years to come. They hope that wrapping the glaciers will prevent the sun’s rays from melting the ice – or at least slow it down. The online news provider Ananova, reporting the story, quotes Carlo Danioth, head of mountain rescue services in Andermatt, as saying: “”We will initially cover around 30,000 square feet on the upper Gurschen glacier at the beginning of May, as a test.” Glacial expert Martin Funk reportedly added: “The foil reflects almost all of the sun’s rays. That will sharply reduce the rate of melting.” While other resorts are reportedly planning to try out the foil-wrapping, environmental groups have condemned the plan. Ananova quotes Raimund Rosewald, head of a landscape protection foundation, as saying: “We cannot stop the glaciers melting using foil.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd.