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by destroying forests ? Sulphur dioxide is what causes acid rains (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain) which kill t

by jkh1 10y ago

by destroying forests ? Sulphur dioxide is what causes acid rains (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain) which kill trees (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Triangle_(region) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Triangle_(region)).

curtis 10y ago
I didn't cover it in the blog post, but the amount of sulfur dioxide needed is less than what we're already emitting into the lower atmosphere. From Wikipedia[1]: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of sulfur dioxide released in the U.S. per year was: Year SO2 1970 31,161,000 short tons (28.3 Mt) 1980 25,905,000 short tons (23.5 Mt) 1990 23,678,000 short tons (21.5 Mt) 1996 18,859,000 short tons (17.1 Mt) 1997 19,363,000 short tons (17.6 Mt) 1998 19,491,000 short tons (17.7 Mt) 1999 18,867,000 short tons (17.1 Mt) also[1]: As of 2006, China was the world's largest sulfur dioxide polluter, with 2005 emissions estimated to be 25,490,000 short tons (23.1 Mt). Presumably we can reduce sulfur dioxide pollution in the lower atmosphere enough to completely offset any that we're releasing into the stratosphere. Is that better or worse? I don't know. But it would seem like right now the Mountain pine beetle is a much greater threat to trees than acid rain is. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide#As_an_air_pollutant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide#As_an_air_pollu... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle#Current_outbreak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle#Current_o...
ScottBurson 10y ago
The rate of mixing between the stratosphere, where the sulfur aerosols would be placed, and the troposphere, where we live, is relatively low. The half-life of these aerosols in the stratosphere is on the order of months -- short enough, as Curtis points out, to limit the risk of any such experiment, but long enough that the quantities required are small compared to the amount of sulfur we are already putting into the troposphere.

by jkh1 10y ago

curtis 10y ago

I didn't cover it in the blog post, but the amount of sulfur dioxide needed is less than what we're already emitting into the lower atmosphere. From Wikipedia[1]: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of sulfur dioxide released in the U.S. per year was: Year SO2 1970 31,161,000 short tons (28.3 Mt) 1980 25,905,000 short tons (23.5 Mt) 1990 23,678,000 short tons (21.5 Mt) 1996 18,859,000 short tons (17.1 Mt) 1997 19,363,000 short tons (17.6 Mt) 1998 19,491,000 short tons (17.7 Mt) 1999 18,867,000 short tons (17.1 Mt) also[1]: As of 2006, China was the world's largest sulfur dioxide polluter, with 2005 emissions estimated to be 25,490,000 short tons (23.1 Mt). Presumably we can reduce sulfur dioxide pollution in the lower atmosphere enough to completely offset any that we're releasing into the stratosphere. Is that better or worse? I don't know. But it would seem like right now the Mountain pine beetle is a much greater threat to trees than acid rain is. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide#As_an_air_pollutant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide#As_an_air_pollu... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle#Current_outbreak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle#Current_o...

ScottBurson 10y ago

The rate of mixing between the stratosphere, where the sulfur aerosols would be placed, and the troposphere, where we live, is relatively low. The half-life of these aerosols in the stratosphere is on the order of months -- short enough, as Curtis points out, to limit the risk of any such experiment, but long enough that the quantities required are small compared to the amount of sulfur we are already putting into the troposphere.