A group of international scientists led by Cornell University (USA), using the most rigorous and systematic techniques ever used, Could Earth’s stratosphere be made a little “brighter” to reflect more sunlight than it reaches the planet? trying to maintain a constant temperature and tackling progressive global warming.
modification of solar radiation or solar geoengineeringAs it is sometimes called, it is a possible climate change mitigation strategy consisting of: inject sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere so more sunlight bounces off Earth’s atmosphere. This, along with other strategies like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, could help prevent the planet’s temperature from getting too high, according to scientists.
“Even if we act aggressively against climate change, it will only get worse,” said lead author Doug MacMartin, a professor at the Cornell School of Engineering. “We will be faced with difficult decisions in the coming decades, On whether we should complement other climate change mitigation strategies with methods that reflect sunlight.”
While cooling the climate with the help of a known pollutant can reduce some of the effects of climate change, it can also have other effects, from changes in precipitation to acid rain, and the consequences remain unclear.
“The first reaction of anyone who hasn’t heard of this strategy is usually, ‘Wow, you shouldn’t be serious, it sounds terrible,’” MacMartin said. “And it can happen, but climate change isn’t good either. We may have passed the point of easy solutions. If we want to be able to provide the best possible information to future decision makers, we must weigh the risks of using this technology with the risks of not using it.”
In the document, the scientists list several scenarios exploring different options and presenting new simulation results with climate models. These scenarios assume that system implementation could start in 2035, and the effects of starting on that date are compared to starting ten years later. Other scenarios explore risks such as the sudden termination or temporary interruption of this project.
MacMartin explained The model used represents an important step forward with respect to previous simulations..
Changing solar radiation remains theoretical, he said. To start, will require a small fleet of aircraft to fly at high altitudesand there are currently no aircraft capable of releasing enough sulfur dioxide at a high enough altitude to naturally decompose into sulfate aerosols.
However, this approach is not without precedent. Throughout Earth’s long geological history, Volcanic eruptions occasionally emitted sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere, cooling the planet. “In that sense, we’re not talking about promoting something completely unnatural,” MacMartin said.
Reference work: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2202230119
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