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Any attempts to engineer the climate are likely to result in "different" climate change, rather than its elimination, new results suggest. Prof Ken Caldeira, of Stanford University, presented research at a major conference on the climate risks and impacts of geoengineering. These techniques have been hailed by some as a quick fix for climate change.
But the impacts of geoengineering on oceans, the water cycle and land environments are hotly debated. They have been discussed at a meeting this week of 12,000 scientists in Vienna. Researchers are familiar with the global cooling effects of volcanic eruptions, seen both historically and even back into the deep past of the rock record. With this in mind, some here at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly ( http://www.egu2015.eu ) have been discussing the possible worldwide consequences of pumping sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere to attempt to reflect sunlight back into space and cool the planet.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Saturday April 18 2015, @02:47PM
the solution is obvious:
1) stop pumping chemicals into the atmosphere! (Yes, this means no more combustion engines!)
2) pull CO2 out of the atmosphere.
If we did this on a global scale we could manage to mitigate what we have done in a century.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 18 2015, @03:25PM
Way to go. You've suggested that we, as a civilization, just stop living. Way to fucking go.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 19 2015, @03:26AM
Actually we've already passed the tipping point. Ocean temperatures have risen enough to trigger the release of methane calthrate deposits, which will accelerate the greenhouse effect, which will melt more methane deposits, which will accelerate the greenhouse effect, which will melt more methane deposits, which will accelerate the greenhouse effect......
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday April 19 2015, @07:03AM
Actually we've already passed the tipping point. Ocean temperatures have risen enough to trigger the release of methane calthrate deposits, which will accelerate the greenhouse effect, which will melt more methane deposits, which will accelerate the greenhouse effect, which will melt more methane deposits, which will accelerate the greenhouse effect......
Methane breaks down in our strongly oxidizing atmosphere, heat radiates to space as the fourth power of temperature, and starting 12k years ago, the end of the last glacial period put an additional 100 meters of water pressure on those methane clathrate deposites. So there are reasons why this isn't an accelerating effect.