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Scientists propose a Plan B to cool the planet through geoengineering

But are we willing to live without blue skies?
By Katherine Butler
Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 12:18 AM EST
Read more: CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, OZONE

Photo: Antaean/Flickr
 
Love the blue skies that greet you on a sunny day? Don’t get too used to it. Scientists have proposed a last-resort solution to climate change. It involves engineering the upper atmosphere to cool down, and this will result in a planetary haze.
 
Recently, experts came together at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a seminar called "Engineering a Cooler Earth: Can We Do It? Should We Try?" Scientists discussed two key geoengineering approaches to cooling the Earth’s atmosphere: removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reflecting the sun's rays away from Earth. However, both lines of attack have complications.
 
Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere involves using the oceans to absorb carbon dioxide. However, this solution requires a large amount of time. Further it will continue the already accelerated acidification of the seas, damaging corals and shellfish. 
 
Reflecting the sun’s rays away from the Earth seems to be the preferred choice. It works by putting large amounts of sulfur in the air, as volcanoes do. Scientists cite the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which cooled the planet by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit. And so, scientists are seriously weighing this Plan B option, which would include lobbing aerosols via high-altitude military jets into the atmosphere — notably, at a cost of several billion dollars a year.
 
But what would putting sulfur in the sky do to the planet? Sure, we’d have a cooler Earth, which would include reduced or reversed melting of ice sheets over the Arctic sea and increased plant productivity. But scientists predict this could mean more droughts in Africa and Asia, more acidification in the oceans, more ozone holes in the Arctic, and reduced solar energy production. 
 
And in a move that would likely frustrate astronomers and freak out the world — a layer of haze would lessen blue skies and obstruct the heavens. 
 
Even so, the American Meteorological Society has endorsed this geoengineering as a viable option. "Geoengineering will not substitute for either aggressive mitigation or proactive adaptation … but it could contribute to a comprehensive risk management strategy to slow climate change and alleviate some of its negative impacts."
 
Others worry that this Plan B solution might undermine the existing efforts to stop global warming. The Institute of Physics, a nonprofit with 36,000 members, released this statement: "Climate geoengineering at scale must be considered only as a last resort … There should be no lessening of attempts to otherwise correct the harmful impacts of human economies on the Earth’s ecology and climate."
 
Nonetheless, government officials are considering the ideas. As House Science Committee spokesman Alexandria Dery Snider told msnbc.com, “Geoengineering may … be a stopgap to buy us some time, if we find ourselves in a dire situation." This Thursday, the House Science Committee will hold its first hearing on the implications of geoengineering. 

 



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Posted By P. Edward Murray - Fri, Nov 06 2009 at 11:59 AM EST

Scientists? More like witch doctors

Somtimes PhD means "Piled higher and deeper

These folks are ready for the funny farm big time...

Polluting the upper atmosphere to dim the Sun to control Gjobal warming?

These people hate God, naturalists, Astronomers and school children.

They hate everyone...

Posted By Ed - Thu, Nov 05 2009 at 2:16 PM EST

Chemtrails are happening RIGHT NOW!!!

It's already happening here in California and has been for at least 10 years.. They have been spraying and poisoning us almost daily. Now they say they are just going to begin? Why don't you just report the effing truth.

Posted By Mark Goldes - Wed, Nov 04 2009 at 6:49 PM EST

The love affair with vehicles allows a better solution

The love affair with the automobile may be a surprising path to dramatically reducing the need for fossil fuels.

Revolutionary new technology makes possible electric cars that need no recharge - as well as hybrid engines that may need only one gallon of water as fuel each thousand miles of driving.

See the article: 4 Steps to Revive the Auto Industry and the Economy on the website: .... More

Posted By Travis - Wed, Nov 04 2009 at 4:35 PM EST

No way.

I'd rather be dead than never see a blue sky again.

Posted By sandra willemsen - Wed, Nov 04 2009 at 12:41 PM EST

No Way

Haven't we learned yet not to tamper with mother nature?

Posted By john649 - Wed, Nov 04 2009 at 12:27 PM EST

You Gotta Be Kidding!!

So first we humans ruin the earth by our misuse of natural resources and greed for money and then we we humans will try and reverse the damage we have done by trying fool the earth into saving 'us' at the expense of those countries we see as less valuable.
Gotta love the human species, that's what will kill us all!
I am going to guess that the earth just might be better off without us.

Posted By Arthur Flumzarelli - Wed, Nov 04 2009 at 10:51 AM EST

We're going to need a lot of WHITE PAINT

Why don't we try reflecting some of the suns rays by painting everything white? All these heat sinks on the planet could use a fresh coat.

Posted By polli lolli - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 11:38 PM EST

it will smell pretty bad, too

I lived near a paper mill that spewed out sulfurous gases. You could smell it many miles away and cars parked in its lots had their paint eaten off. The mill might have since cleaned up its act, but I bet they wouldn't mind helping us out with some air pollution...

Posted By Torgeir Hansson - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 9:52 PM EST

The scientists will surely get this right...

fer sure, fer sure. Nothing to worry about, just a few million tons of sulphur raining down on the planet. Make sure to grab your umbrella now!

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 9:35 PM EST

Old news!

No news here guys... they have been SPRAYING poison on us since the early 90's and now these dirt-bags have to tell us so they put out articles like this into the mainstream to ease us into more lies, more deceit. Time for a peaceful revolution guys. Live long, love and prosper!

Posted By gee - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 9:30 PM EST

less oil & coal use (period)

"droughts in Africa and Asia, more acidification in the oceans, more ozone holes in the Arctic, and reduced solar energy production. "

Wow is that an option or a threat. Maybe less if your outside africa & asia and don't think we need a healthy planet.

Posted By David Ehm - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 6:11 PM EST

Weather Warfare

Geoengineering is another name for Weather Warfare. Much of this is being sold to us in the name of global warming when our atmosphere has been sprayed with metals for over 10 years to turn the atmosphere into a plasma that is user friendly for carrying microwaves that have and are being used for weather modification / warfare. Global warming is not the problem but the military industrial complex is what is killing us all. The hole in the ozone layer may have been caused by the U.S..... More

Posted By Joseph van Eijndhoven - Tue, Nov 03 2009 at 6:57 AM EST

Like the Chinese weather service?

"The Weather Modification Office sprayed clouds with 186 doses of the chemical to bring rain for the wheat crop, the Beijing Evening News said.

But the arrival of a cold front caused heavy snow to fall, disrupting road, rail and air travel."

Nice.... Now on a global level. If CO2 won't kill us then such scientists surely will.

Posted By Alan - Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 11:07 PM EST

A$$hole$ Want Acid Rain!!!

Spraying the atmosphere with sulphur will simply create acid rain. Better off letting us all drive SUV's.

Bottom Line: the "New Ice Age" (1970's) became "Global Warming" (1990's) became "Climate Change" (2000's). The Deep Ecologists want famine, plague, and war to wipe out everyone who will not bow to their cult and culture.

Posted By Matt - Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 3:43 PM EST

What?!!

Are we really this stupid? Using one massive speculative geoengineering project that could potentially destroy the earth in order to correct another?

Posted By Brad Arnold - Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 4:09 AM EST

New silver bullet clean energy technology

Mankind's emission are expected to rise 50% by 2030, so the following silver bullet clean energy technology is the answer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1iqa0dSJO0

Check out above link to a 2 and a half minute youtube video of a CNN report. What are the odds that the independent testimony below is fraudulent (not bloody likely unless you are a paranoid

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