Giant kangaroo seen from space offers insight on climate change
When the Australians aren't busy killing off kangaroos by the hundreds, they're instead constructing 105-ft tall monuments of the adorable marsupial. Only this project isn't in homage to the country's national symbol, but instead of ploy to gain a greater understanding of how global warming works.
This giant 'roo was photographed from space by satellite, along with similar creations in the US, France, Belgium and other countries, as part of a climate change experiment being conducted by NASA. The goal is to measure the Albedo effect -- which, essentially, describes the amount of sunlight reflected by the earth. It's hoped that these enormous images will behave similarly to ice -- which reflects sunlight (and therefore cools the planet).
Obviously, with the glaciers melting at increasingly rapid rates, more sun is being absorbed by the planet, which is probably causing increased temperatures. If we're lucky, this research will lead to more awesome sci-fi-style ideas on how we can build enormous solar reflectors, shoot them into space, and shade the planet. Sure, these projects aren't very feasible and may have unforeseen and dire side effects -- but they're interesting to read about.
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