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A trio of researchers, two from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the other from the California Institute of Technology, developed computer simulations suggesting that using geoengineering to cool the planet would not be enough to overcome greenhouse effects if emissions continued to current pace. Tapio Schneider, Colleen Kaul and Kyle Pressel published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
As scientists have become frustrated with the lack of progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, some are advocating other ways to save the planet. One approach involves geoengineering, altering the Earth to solve a problem. Geoengineering to reduce global warming would involve emitting particulate matter into the stratosphere to reflect the sun’s heat back into space. Ideas for such an effort involve releasing reflective particles into the stratosphere where they would surround much of the Earth, reflecting heat and cooling the planet. The idea is based on previous research showing that parts of the Earth become cooler after volcanic eruptions due to the ash spewed into the atmosphere. It hasn’t been tested in the real world, and some researchers suggest there may be significant unexpected side effects. Furthermore, the same technology could, in theory, be used as a weapon. In this new effort, the researchers built a computer simulation to determine if such an approach would work.
They found that geoengineering could work, but only up to a point. If greenhouse gases are not curbed, they will rise to levels that would negatively impact the stratocumulus, thinning them and, in some cases, eliminating them. Without this cloud cover, even the introduction of particles into the atmosphere would not be sufficient to prevent global warming. They suggest that geoengineering would not be a solution some have proposed if greenhouse gas emission levels were not reduced.
Geoengineering is only a partial solution to fighting climate change
Tapio Schneider et al. Solar geoengineering may not prevent strong warming from the direct effects of CO2 on the cloud cover of stratocumulus, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073 / pnas.2003730117
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Quote: Simulations Suggest Geoengineering Wouldn’t Stop Global Warming If Greenhouse Gases Continue to Increase (2020, Nov 17) Recovered Nov 17, 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2020-11-simulations-geoengineering-global -greenhouse-gasses. html
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