This large power station with sun reflectors in the Nevada Desert was built so that it could also generate electricity at night. Image: Jamey Stillings

In order to maintain its ice grotto for tourists, parts of the Rhône Glacier are covered over in the summer. Image: Klaus Thymann

Once these coniferous seedlings have grown, they will bind a lot of carbon in the form of wood and needles, thereby helping to improve Iceland’s carbon footprint. At the same time, they help to combat soil erosion. These species mostly originate in Alaska, but since their import is banned, they are cultivated here on Iceland. Image: Josh Haner

Fighting a losing battle? For 150 years, an ice grotto has been dug in the Rhône Glacier every year. The Carlen family runs the nearby Hotel Belvédère (currently closed), and they are using white tarpaulins made of polyester fleece in an attempt to ensure the sun’s rays are reflected away, thereby preserving this tourist attraction from melting. Image: Ørjan F. Ellingvåg

In the middle of Death Valley in Nevada, these mirrors, arranged in a circle, catch the sunlight and direct it to the central tower where it heats up molten salt. When stored underground, this can drive steam turbines and generate electricity 24 hours a day. However, this Crescent Dunes Project failed to reach its goal of 110 megawatts (which would correspond to roughly a quarter of the power generated by the former atomic power station Mühleberg). For this reason, the plant was closed in 2019 after having run for a little over three years. Image: Jamey Stillings

These foehn clouds above Ormont-Dessous in the canton of Vaud look like they’ve been made by hand, though they are in fact a natural event. There are now various projects aiming to produce artificial clouds over the sea in order to help cool the climate. They are highly controversial, however. Image: Pierre-Yves Massot

The microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) in this basin near Poitiers in France produce renewable fuel. Household waste is composted to produce methane gas that is burned to produce electricity. The resultant CO₂ is pumped into the basin (the process shown here in the picture), which in turn promotes the growth of the algae. Ultimately, the algae too are harvested and turned into biofuel. | Photo: Pascal Goetgheluck

When wind turbines fill the landscape, as here at the Randowhöhe wind farm in the German state of Brandenburg, many people think the result is ugly. But according to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, wind power is essential in order to produce renewable energy in the winter months. By the year 2050, the proportion of electricity generated by wind power in Switzerland is due to rise from 0.2 to seven percent. In Denmark, it already accounts for 50 percent. Image: Janis Chavakis