Along with cleaning up emissions couldnt we grow icebergs?
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>Along with cleaning up emissions
The simplest method would be to use very high sulfur jet fuel on planes traveling over the arctic during the summer. This would result in high altitude, persistent sulfuric aerosol clouds in the stratosphere similar to the impact of large volcanic eruptions. This would reflect some sunlight back out into space, cooling summer time temperatures in the arctic. Note that during the arctic winter this could be counterproductive, by reflecting some infrared light from the surface back down to the ground and slowing sea ice growth, so it would need to be managed carefully. The other downside is some acidic rain issues. But this means the sulfuric aerosols are gradually settling out of the stratosphere.
Another method that’s been proposed is placing a large number of very thin plastic confetti coated with aluminum in high orbit, between the earth and the sun. Essentially an artificial ring like those of saturn. This would cast a shadow over the surface at certain parts of the day, cooling global temperatures.
Obviously, this isn’t so easy to get rid of once it’s no longer desirable. So, has potential to cause another ice age, not to mention the cost of launching millions of tons of confetti into high orbit So there are few takers for this one.
>couldnt we grow icebergs?
Ice layers on top of lakes in the northern hemisphere act as insulation, especially snow on top thereof, slows the rate of freezing of said lakes. Simply pumping water from underneath onto the surface and flooding the top might be able to increase the ice thickness at tje end of winter, which would keep the lakes frozen for longer in the early summer and reflect sunlight back into space. This doesn’t take a lot of energy.
>Along with cleaning up emissions
The simplest method would be to use very high sulfur jet fuel on planes traveling over the arctic during the summer. This would result in high altitude, persistent sulfuric aerosol clouds in the stratosphere similar to the impact of large volcanic eruptions. This would reflect some sunlight back out into space, cooling summer time temperatures in the arctic. Note that during the arctic winter this could be counterproductive, by reflecting some infrared light from the surface back down to the ground and slowing sea ice growth, so it would need to be managed carefully. The other downside is some acidic rain issues. But this means the sulfuric aerosols are gradually settling out of the stratosphere.
Another method that’s been proposed is placing a large number of very thin plastic confetti coated with aluminum in high orbit, between the earth and the sun. Essentially an artificial ring like those of saturn. This would cast a shadow over the surface at certain parts of the day, cooling global temperatures.
Obviously, this isn’t so easy to get rid of once it’s no longer desirable. So, has potential to cause another ice age, not to mention the cost of launching millions of tons of confetti into high orbit So there are few takers for this one.
>couldnt we grow icebergs?
Ice layers on top of lakes in the northern hemisphere act as insulation, especially snow on top thereof, slows the rate of freezing of said lakes. Simply pumping water from underneath onto the surface and flooding the top might be able to increase the ice thickness at tje end of winter, which would keep the lakes frozen for longer in the early summer and reflect sunlight back into space. This doesn’t take a lot of energy.
No. We’re really bad at cooling things down (freezing them). In reality we do it by taking heat out of something and putting it somewhere else
This works for fridges because the fridge is a box designed to keep hot air out and cold air in. The artic is a big open space. If we tried to freeze anything we’d need to dump the excess heat somewhere else, which would inevitably make its way back to the artic eventually.
The process also creates additional excess heat. So we’d be making it even worse!
No. We’re really bad at cooling things down (freezing them). In reality we do it by taking heat out of something and putting it somewhere else
This works for fridges because the fridge is a box designed to keep hot air out and cold air in. The artic is a big open space. If we tried to freeze anything we’d need to dump the excess heat somewhere else, which would inevitably make its way back to the artic eventually.
The process also creates additional excess heat. So we’d be making it even worse!
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