SnowMelter

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  • Beijing melting snow to solve global warming-related water shortage, likely contributing to global warming

    by 
    Tim Stevens
    Tim Stevens
    11.13.2010

    Like water? Sure, we all do, but folks in and around northern China have been suffering from a shortage of late. The blame has been assigned to both global warming-related drought and a population boom, but officials in and around Beijing have a somewhat novel solution: snow melters. Two vehicles with heaters capable of melting 3,500 cubic feet of snow per hour have been deployed ahead of the coming wintery mix. Just how much snow does Beijing get? Well, last January the city had its worst storm in almost 60 years, netting an average of -- wait for it -- 11mm of snow. Yeah, that's less than half an inch, and not nearly enough around these parts for the kids to even bother to check the school delays.