posted by admin on Aug 11
Could we put loads of tiny ‘parasols’ in space to cool the Earth?
There is currently some thought in the geo-engineering world that it could actually be possible to shield the Earth from some of the heating effects of the sun.
Now, I know in the northern states the last thing we want is less sun and more cold weather - but if it saves the planet from the effects of global warming, then some people think it might be worth the sacrifices.
However, as the world gets warmer anyway - this shielding effect would only bring it back down to where it was in the first place. We can’t block the sun completely otherwise life as we know it would change completely anyway. We need the sun - but we just want a bit less of it!
So, What Are They Planning To Do?
Well, nothing is set in stone obviously as this is one big project. It is so in the early stages that it isn’t even a definate answer to anything - it is just a possible solution - one of many, but probably the most ambitious!
Basically, there is a proposal for millions of tiny reflective particles to be propelled up into space to fill a gap between the Sun and the Earth. Ideally, these particles would be about 2 feet wide and about a trillion of them will need to be fired into space for this to work!
One of the astronomers offering up suggestions for this type of engineering project is suggesting that this ’shield’ should be set at about a million miles out from the Earth’s surface for best results and ease of installation! Rocket power or simply planes could be the vessels used to propel all these disks into orbit when the time was right.
Who Is Thinking Of This Anyway?
An eminent telescope designer and astronomer called Roger Angel is at the forefront of this technology, and he can show how this theory has been proved as effective by nature herself.
After several major volcanic eruptions in our recent past, the temperature of the Earth has dramatically cooled and stayed cooler as the particles thrown up by the explosions hover in the atmostphere and block out the effects of the sun.
He quotes that Mount Pinatubo in the Phillippines exploded in 1991 and threw 10 million tonnes of sulphur into the outer atmostphere which slowly spread around the whole globe in a sort-of curtain. Records clearly show that the global temperature was about 1 whole degree cooler for about 12 months after the eruption.
So we know that the sun-shade idea would work.
So, Why Aren’t We Doing It?
Well, the trillion dollar price tag is a minor drawback to the scheme for starters!
Also, what would the long term effects be of such a huge project? Could we re-capture them all if it worked too well? How many could we put up there in the first place? What if they all clumped together or flew apart?
I think governments are all trying to slow global warming or climate change in their own way - many are failing though. Badly failing (or not even really trying in the first place!).
Maybe this is just one of the crazy ideas now that might actually be one of the big players of the next few decades.
How long we can keep denying the world is changing is one thing, how we are going to cope with it is another!
