Thursday, October 25, 2007

Cool way to cool the globe


IS this a whacky way to cool the globe? It doesn't seem so.

DESPITE growing interest in clean energy technology, it looks as if we are not going to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide anytime soon. The amount in the atmosphere today exceeds the most pessimistic forecasts made just a few years ago, and it is increasing faster than anybody had foreseen.

Henning Wagenbreth

Even if we could stop adding to greenhouse gases tomorrow, the earth would continue warming for decades — and remain hot for centuries. We would still face the threat of water from melting glaciers lapping at our doorsteps.

What can be done? One idea is to counteract warming by tossing small particles into the stratosphere (above where jets fly). This strategy may sound far-fetched, but it has the potential to cool the earth within months.

Mount Pinatubo, a volcano in the Philippines that erupted in 1991, showed how it works. The eruption resulted in sulfate particles in the stratosphere that reflected the sun’s rays back to space, and as a consequence the earth briefly cooled.

Or we can also shoot missiles with the appropriate payload.

5 comments:

MBW said...

We are witnessing climate problems of collosal proportions. The effects are being felt here in Europe.

Last Summer, there was virtually little of few days of hot summer weather everywehre in mainland Europe. Then a few days of very sunny, hot weather 30°C in September which dropped radically virtually from 30°C to 10° and now it's almost freezing cold, no sun these last few days while California is suffering from 35°C heat and lethal winds.

Not normal... Been here for more than 3 decades and the last 2 years' weather upheavals are proving to be worrisome. My husband and I were due to purchase a bit of land fronting the Atlantic, marvelous seaview, great inland topography but having second thoughts.

South of France is predicted to become very very and unbearably hot in the years to come while the Northwest side which is rather cold and wet is expected to be just right in terms of temperature.

Real estate brokers are already predicting there will be a scramble for holiday properties that side of France (shift from Southern France) because of the expected climatic changes.

viking said...

Ah, this is a difficult subject I've been studying for a long time and on which I worry that there is a lot of exaggeration and alarmism. It is real but we need to get a better handle.
I thought the hillblogger who played high-speed chess and liked high fashion was your spouse.
No offense meant, but are you in defense?

Unknown said...

Yes, I am.

viking said...

What happened to the MBW site?

MBW said...

Hi Viking

It's still on:

http://manilabaywatch.blogspot.com

Thanks