A group of Chinese scientists are working on saving China’s top sightseeing spot Dagu Glacier from melting, Bloomberg reported last week. The scientists are looking to deploy thick rolls of white fabric over 4.3k sq feet (c. 400 sqm) of the mountain to reflect the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere.

A terminally ill glacier: The glacier has already lost over 70% of its ice over the past half century due to global warming. One of the researchers told the local press that their salvage attempt was analogous to a doctor trying to extend the lifetime of a terminally ill patient. “All the human intervention methods that we’re working on, even if they prove effective, are only going to slow down the melting,” Nanjing University associate professor Zhu Bin said.

Not a new idea, but new Chinese tech could help: This method of attempting to save the glacier is not new, as European ski resorts have been using the same approach for nearly two decades to help prevent snow from melting. But China is only getting started, with Zhu’s team experimenting with a new material that could help reflect over 93% of sunlight and help the glacier release heat. The material is produced from cellulose acetate, a natural plant fiber that could be spread by drones over less accessible glaciers in the form of small particles.

Like a band-aid on a bad wound: Most of the world’s glaciers are melting rapidly, leading to rising sea levels and deadly floods. Using sun-reflecting sheets is like putting a band-aid on a gushing wound, as Bloomberg puts it. But even if the world succeeds in keeping global warming below the 2°C threshold, less than half of the 4k glaciers in the Alps today would remain standing by the end of the century.