Efforts to reflect away the sun's rays might also make the sky whiter, one of many reasons some distrust such geoengineering schemes
By Lauren Morello and ClimateWire | June 1, 2012 | 44
The white haze that hangs over many major cities could become a familiar sight everywhere if the world decides to try geoengineering to create a cooler planet.
Scientists have long suspected that one oft-discussed geoengineering technique -- shooting tiny sulfate particles into the upper atmosphere to deflect sunlight -- could turn the blue sky white. Nature has already provided a basic proof of concept. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, spewing tons of sulfate particles in the atmosphere, it temporarily whitened the sky.
Now a new study by researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science attempts to determine just how big the effect from man-made geoengineering would be.
Adding enough sulfate to the stratosphere to block 2 percent of the sun's light would make the sky three to five times brighter, they report in a paper that will be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Geoengineering Could Turn Skies White
Efforts to reflect away the sun's rays might also make the sky whiter, one of many reasons some distrust such geoengineering schemes
I love when establishments have slips of the tongue. Why are they trying to reflect the suns rays by 2%? Seems fairly marginal to me. If there was genuine concern for their c02 con job, they'd want to cut back on carbon emissions by switching over to more sustainable and cleaner energy sources. Eliminating a perceived problem at the root seems most logical to me. Since they aren't going that route, I see this as them basically admitting that the planetary heating and cooling cycles are being effected by the Sun, and not man-made fuels to the extent that is claimed. Thanks for the slip of the tongue, Climatewire.
Edit: I also liked the bit about trying to justify cloud seeding as being potentially beneficial to plants, after sourcing the subsequent global growth of plant-life after the 1991 Filipino volcanic eruption. Volcanoes displace large quantities of c02 and a variety of other chemical compounds that have been found to be beneficial to plant growth. Plants and some forms of bacteria use c02 in Photosynthesis and respiration. Elevated levels of c02 will inevitably lead to higher growth yields. Again with the contradictions and slips of the tongue. I love this shit.
