We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
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We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
1–10 of 165 posts
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#2I think I'm a relative optimist about global warming because there are a number of possible climate engineering interventions which seem fairly cheap and could plausibly buy us another decade or so.
I can imagine a future where perhaps India or China decides to act on their own to this effect, risks be damned.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#3Everything but taking care of the cause? Pollution. Deforestation. Etc. Here’s a good start: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emiss...
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#4Wouldn’t that reduce the available sunlight for photosynthesis? The problem is that we’re trapping more heat per photon.
Reducing the amount of photosynthesis might reduce the carbon fixation by plants. Not sure if that’d be a good idea.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#5Wouldn’t that reduce the available sunlight for photosynthesis? The problem is that we’re trapping more heat per photon. Reducing the amount of photosynthesis might reduce the carbon fixation by plants. Not sure if that’d be a good idea.
The extra carbon in the air has already made plants more productive so there’s some offset already.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#6Everything but taking care of the cause? Pollution. Deforestation. Etc. Here’s a good start: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emiss...
yeah most that pollution is toxic still... so cooling isn't the only thing we need to fix.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#7Wouldn’t that reduce the available sunlight for photosynthesis? The problem is that we’re trapping more heat per photon. Reducing the amount of photosynthesis might reduce the carbon fixation by plants. Not sure if that’d be a good idea.
Sounds like most of the brighter clouds generated would be over the ocean in this particular scenario, so shouldn’t affect plants too much.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#8I think I'm a relative optimist about global warming because there are a number of possible climate engineering interventions which seem fairly cheap and could plausibly buy us another decade or so. I can imagine a future where perhaps India or China decides to act on their own to this effect, risks be damned.
Was reading about food and economic disaster in Sri Lanka and how much of their problems would be solved with cheap coal electric and fertilizer plants. If we had an easy way to counter global warming, maybe countries could more easily borrow funds for such projects.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#9Wouldn’t that reduce the available sunlight for photosynthesis? The problem is that we’re trapping more heat per photon. Reducing the amount of photosynthesis might reduce the carbon fixation by plants. Not sure if that’d be a good idea.
Typically I can't find any reliable stats on the spot, but I recall the reduction in photosynthesis from ordinary heavy cloud cover alone can be up to 85% - with most photosynthesis happening whilst there is only light (or even no) cloud cover.
Probably this would have minimal effect on light cloud cover and there is already not a great deal happening during heavy cloud.
Re: We Could Brighten Clouds to Cool the Earth
#10We also need a cloud darkener in case the cloud brightener makes things worse.