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Fleece Blanket Keeps Glacier Cool for Summer

Warming temperatures mean that many glaciers are shrinking. A ski company using the Gemstock glacier above Andermatt, Switzerland, has answered this trend by wrapping a critical ski ramp near the top of the glacier in synthetic material.

The company hopes that the blanket will slow the glacier's melting over the summer in an area around the cable car station.

If the blanket is successful, skiers will be able to ski right out of the station and down the mountain. If the blanket doesn't slow the melting, then a new ramp will have to be built out of snow and ice when the winter arrives.

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International Correspondent Emily Harris is based in Jerusalem as part of NPR's Mideast team. Her post covers news related to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. She began this role in March of 2013.