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Melting glaciers could help stop global warming

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Melting glaciers could help stop global warming

#11

Post by gmuslera »

Losing the reflecting ice will increase the average global warming rate. And you don't just melt an isolated piece of ice in the middle of the terrain, not to cause a change of a global trend at least. Melting enough ice means melting a lot of floating ice, than will not expose rocks but dark water that will absorb far more direct heat than the indirect heat trapped by the relatively small amount of captured CO2.

It is like saying that you should not be scared about falling from a cliff because the air resistance will lift you back up to safety.

Re: Melting glaciers could help stop global warming

#12

Post by margalabargala »

ianburrell wrote: post #8
ryanblakeleybot wrote: post #4

No mention of the loss of albedo. Harvesting and shipping rock flour from Greenland to sequester carbon in ag fields in Denmark sounds a little far-fetched in terms of how that would add up to a net reduction of CO2.

Some rocks absorb CO2 as they weather. Also, rocks provide minerals to fields which provide extra benefit. Greenland with melted glaciers aren’t the only option. Olivine is rock that absorbs CO2 in seawater. We could grind and dump gigatons of it, and it is more accessible.

Every calculation I've seen regarding olivine comes out saying that the grinding and transport will release more carbon than the olivine will absorb, even accounting for technology improvements and green energy.

Re: Melting glaciers could help stop global warming

#14

Post by hinkley »

ianburrell wrote: post #8
ryanblakeleybot wrote: post #4

No mention of the loss of albedo. Harvesting and shipping rock flour from Greenland to sequester carbon in ag fields in Denmark sounds a little far-fetched in terms of how that would add up to a net reduction of CO2.

Some rocks absorb CO2 as they weather. Also, rocks provide minerals to fields which provide extra benefit. Greenland with melted glaciers aren’t the only option. Olivine is rock that absorbs CO2 in seawater. We could grind and dump gigatons of it, and it is more accessible.

What happens if we mandate that all concrete be made of these rocks?
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