Commentary: Traditional snow removal methods cannot be abandoned

The snowfall puts on a beautiful white dress for the beautiful land, adding vitality to the cold winter day, but also bringing some inconvenience to production and life. How to remove snow quickly and effectively has become an important practical problem.

Traditionally, snow removal is done by hand. "Sweeping the snow in front of each door" is a unique snow clearing mechanism, every household clears the snow in front of the door, and the traffic road is unblocked. With the development of science and technology, modern snow removal methods have emerged, such as driving snow removal machinery and throwing snow melting agents. Traditional snow removal methods are gradually being replaced, but with them new challenges.

The advantages of traditional snow removal methods cannot be ignored: one is low-carbon and environmental protection, without any chemical agents, through manpower and material resources to remove snow, will not cause any pollution to soil and water, will not increase carbon emissions, low-carbon environmental protection is its biggest advantage. The second is to increase the sense of social responsibility, and "each sweeps the snow in front of the door" mobilizes the enthusiasm of individual and collective snow removal, so that the participants have a sense of honor. The third is to increase the interaction between colleagues or neighbors, and when the snow is cleared, there are more opportunities for contact and friendship. Fourth, it can reduce the burden on sanitation workers. Of course, there are also disadvantages of traditional snow removal methods, such as the need to invest a lot of manpower and low efficiency.

Modern snow removal methods are mainly mechanical and snow melting agents, which have the advantage of reducing labor input and improving efficiency, but the disadvantages are also obvious. Although there are environmentally friendly snow melting agents, due to the high price, the current snow melting agents are still mainly cheap "chloride salts", such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, etc., which will eventually flow to the water body or enter the land, resulting in water pollution or land salinization. Moreover, snow melting agents can harm roads, tires, etc., reducing their service life. Because of this, many experts and scholars at home and abroad have proposed to minimize the use of snow melting agents.

The author believes that traditional and modern snow removal methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the effective combination of their respective strengths can give full play to the maximum benefits, rather than abandoning traditional snow removal methods. Clearing the snow in front of the door is a manifestation of a sense of social responsibility and a contribution to a better life for us.

Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences