4 ms·

A World Without Clouds: Cloud Loss Could Add 8 Degrees to Global Warming

48 points by headalgorithm 8y ago

redka 8y ago
This might be slightly off-topic but I wonder why, in the context of Global Warming, solutions like this [1] aren't more widespread. [1] https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change?language=en https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_worl...
- rimunroe 8y ago
  If you follow the link you'll see that they've made a note that a number of scientists disagree with him. These two articles came up immediately after going to his Wikipedia page: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X13001480?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X1... https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbd/2014/163431/ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbd/2014/163431/
  - redka 8y ago
    Thanks, I've missed that
sgt101 8y ago
I remember that there was work kicked off when 911 grounded global flights, and the contrails from aircraft declined reducing cloud cover, but that doesn't seem to be mentioned in this article. Frightening stuff, climate change and nuclear weapons, not a good mix.
- m_mueller 8y ago
  I'm much less worried about nukes than about climate change tbh. Looking at the big picture, they basically cap the extent of humanity's madness, presumably before it's possible to trigger a Venusification of the planet and just sterilize it outright (i.e. thermal equilibrium at ~120 degree Celsius).
_Microft 8y ago
As much as I hate the idea because of the complexity involved and possible side-effects but maybe climate engineering will be actually unavoidable in the long run. That does not mean that we shouldn't try everything possible and maybe not-yet-possible to avert the worst.
painful 8y ago
As an American, I'm frankly sick of the US inaction on climate change. It makes me hate being an American. It almost makes me want to live somewhere saner from a climate pov. (Disclaimer: I'm a pacifist.)

48 points by headalgorithm 8y ago

This might be slightly off-topic but I wonder why, in the context of Global Warming, solutions like this [1] aren't more widespread. [1] https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change?language=en https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_worl...

rimunroe 8y ago
If you follow the link you'll see that they've made a note that a number of scientists disagree with him. These two articles came up immediately after going to his Wikipedia page: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X13001480?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X1... https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbd/2014/163431/ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbd/2014/163431/
- redka 8y ago
  Thanks, I've missed that

sgt101 8y ago

I remember that there was work kicked off when 911 grounded global flights, and the contrails from aircraft declined reducing cloud cover, but that doesn't seem to be mentioned in this article. Frightening stuff, climate change and nuclear weapons, not a good mix.

m_mueller 8y ago
I'm much less worried about nukes than about climate change tbh. Looking at the big picture, they basically cap the extent of humanity's madness, presumably before it's possible to trigger a Venusification of the planet and just sterilize it outright (i.e. thermal equilibrium at ~120 degree Celsius).

_Microft 8y ago

As much as I hate the idea because of the complexity involved and possible side-effects but maybe climate engineering will be actually unavoidable in the long run. That does not mean that we shouldn't try everything possible and maybe not-yet-possible to avert the worst.

painful 8y ago

As an American, I'm frankly sick of the US inaction on climate change. It makes me hate being an American. It almost makes me want to live somewhere saner from a climate pov. (Disclaimer: I'm a pacifist.)