>The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concludes that it "is the most-researched [solar geoengineering] method, with high agreement that it could limit warming to below 1.5°C."
>Stratospheric sulfur aerosols are created by existing natural processes (especially volcanoes), whose impacts have been studied via observations.
>In contrast to other proposed solar geoengineering techniques, much of the required technology is pre-existing: chemical manufacturing, artillery shells, high-altitude aircraft, weather balloons, etc.
>The annual cost of delivering 5 million tons of an albedo enhancing aerosol (sufficient to offset the expected warming over the next century) to an altitude of 20 to 30 km is estimated at US$2 billion to 8 billion. In comparison, the annual cost estimates for climate damage or emission mitigation range from US$200 billion to 2 trillion.
Terrible plan almost certainly, but nuclear weapons also notably enhance albedo. Particularly if close enough to the ground to suck up dirt & particles & blast them up & out. Creating that extra fall out is of course yet more radioactive contamination to be dealt with.
The fear of nuclear winter is mostly that it enhances the albedo so much that the world cools, crops wither and die.
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 19.5 ms ] thread>Stratospheric sulfur aerosols are created by existing natural processes (especially volcanoes), whose impacts have been studied via observations.
>In contrast to other proposed solar geoengineering techniques, much of the required technology is pre-existing: chemical manufacturing, artillery shells, high-altitude aircraft, weather balloons, etc.
>The annual cost of delivering 5 million tons of an albedo enhancing aerosol (sufficient to offset the expected warming over the next century) to an altitude of 20 to 30 km is estimated at US$2 billion to 8 billion. In comparison, the annual cost estimates for climate damage or emission mitigation range from US$200 billion to 2 trillion.
The fear of nuclear winter is mostly that it enhances the albedo so much that the world cools, crops wither and die.