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There's little chance of transitioning our energy system in time, so let's start considering how to cool our planet. Can we block or reflect sunlight? That seem

There's little chance of transitioning our energy system in time, so let's start considering how to cool our planet. Can we block or reflect sunlight? That seems the brightest future, cooling the planet artificially while decarbonizing and capturing the carbon already released.

rawrmaan 7y ago
I don't know if anyone is researching this, but couldn't we manufacture stupidly large floating reflective tarps and start deploying them anywhere sea ice is melting? Seems like this would be a high benefit for relatively low cost.
- rb808 7y ago
  I'd think they'd work better at the equator to reflect the most heat.
  - aaomidi 7y ago
    And fucking weather patterns even more.
  - fouc 7y ago
    Tropical countries would love to reduce the heat, it would massively help their economies.
  - Dumblydorr 7y ago
    I believe we should start at the poles, as that would slow feedback loops there and save what little climate system we have. The poles are crucial holders of water in ice form, cooling those should be high priority.
- jefflombardjr 7y ago
  Yeah! The Swiss are doing this on a much smaller scale: https://www.livescience.com/61951-swiss-glacier-blanket.html https://www.livescience.com/61951-swiss-glacier-blanket.html I would think floating tarps would seriously mess with the marine life though.
weberc2 7y ago
Pretty sure we've considered sulfur dioxide or similar, which has in the past been released from large scale volcanic eruptions that have cooled the earth. One such event was the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, which caused global crop failure due to low temperatures. Freezing temps persisted into June in Europe and North America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1815_eruption_of_Mount_Tambora https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1815_eruption_of_Mount_Tambora Related: https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/9805/would-adding-sulfur-dioxide-to-the-atmosphere-have-a-global-cooling-effect/9809 https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/9805/would-...

rawrmaan 7y ago

I don't know if anyone is researching this, but couldn't we manufacture stupidly large floating reflective tarps and start deploying them anywhere sea ice is melting? Seems like this would be a high benefit for relatively low cost.

rb808 7y ago
I'd think they'd work better at the equator to reflect the most heat.
- aaomidi 7y ago
  And fucking weather patterns even more.
- fouc 7y ago
  Tropical countries would love to reduce the heat, it would massively help their economies.
- Dumblydorr 7y ago
  I believe we should start at the poles, as that would slow feedback loops there and save what little climate system we have. The poles are crucial holders of water in ice form, cooling those should be high priority.
jefflombardjr 7y ago
Yeah! The Swiss are doing this on a much smaller scale: https://www.livescience.com/61951-swiss-glacier-blanket.html https://www.livescience.com/61951-swiss-glacier-blanket.html I would think floating tarps would seriously mess with the marine life though.

weberc2 7y ago

Pretty sure we've considered sulfur dioxide or similar, which has in the past been released from large scale volcanic eruptions that have cooled the earth. One such event was the eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815, which caused global crop failure due to low temperatures. Freezing temps persisted into June in Europe and North America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1815_eruption_of_Mount_Tambora https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1815_eruption_of_Mount_Tambora Related: https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/9805/would-adding-sulfur-dioxide-to-the-atmosphere-have-a-global-cooling-effect/9809 https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/9805/would-...