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Combatting Global Warming With Artificial Volcanos?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the was-an-old-lady-who-swallowed-a-fly dept.

An anonymous reader writes, "Some scientists are suggesting that a short-term solution to global warming could be to inject sulfate-based aerosols into the stratosphere as a 'sunlight-reflecting, cooling foil.' Tom Wigley of the National Center for Atmospheric Research says that adding just 5 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide annually to the stratosphere 'would have a significant influence.'" From the article: "Constant aerosol production also could mean we wouldn't have blue skies anymore, and it could reduce incoming solar radiation enough to hobble such imperatives as replacing fossil fuel with solar energy technologies."

3 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Global dimming by syntax · · Score: 4, Informative

    This concept is also known as Global dimming, and has already been occurring for a while now. In fact, it's one of the reasons we haven't noticed global warming as much. A very unsurprising downside to global dimming is that it totally mucks with rain fall, casting some areas into complete drought.

    I recommend anyone that's interested in this concept check out the NOVA on this issue.

  2. Acid rain by 200_success · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sulfur dioxide is hardly a solution -- it just trades one problem for another.

  3. Year without a Summer! by jrcorder · · Score: 2, Informative

    In 1815, Mt. Tambora http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Tambora/ erupted, launching millions of tons of sulfuric dioxide into the stratosphere (sound familiar). 1816 was known as "The Year Without A Summer" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

    What a GREAT idea!

    Ignorance can be corrected : Stupidity is a choice