[thepunisher892]

Quote:

Whiter clouds reflect more solar energy back into space, cooling the Earth.

But a study presented at the European Geosciences Union meeting found that using water droplets of the wrong size would lead to warming, not cooling.

One of the theory's scientific fathers said it should be possible to make sure droplets were the correct size.

Cloud whitening was originally proposed back in 1990 by John Latham, now of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, US.

It has since been developed by a number of other researchers including University of Edinburgh wave energy pioneer Stephen Salter, joining a number of other "geoengineering" techniques that would attempt either to reduce solar radiation reaching earth or absorb carbon dioxide from the air.

One version envisages specially designed ships, powered by wind, operating in areas of the ocean where reflective stratocumulus clouds are scarce.

The ships would continually spray fine jets of seawater droplets into the sky, where tiny salt crystals would act as nuclei around which water vapour would condense, producing clouds or thickening them where they already exist.

It has not yet been trialled in practice, although proponents say it ought to be.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12983795

 

[lordikon]

Messing with the weather seems like a bad idea (or at least a dangerous). Of course, one could argue that just by existing the way we do now, we're screwing with a lot of things, including weather.

 

[thepunisher892]

Im holding my thoughts until the get some testing done in the labs.

 

[Aick]

it would help us no doubt, but me thinks we shouldnt mess with mother nature, she could send us to time out...

as in wipe out our existence

 

[ez12a]

And so the robot take over begins..

 

[Phoriver]

Artificial cloud nucleation is not going to cause any problems. Along with controlled algae blooms we should be able to reflect a significantly higher amount of solar radiation back to space. However this is not a solution as we need to reduce the average co2 ppm in the atmosphere back to pre industrial levels through carbon capture.

 

[subliminally incorrect]

arent they already doing this with the chem trails they have in the sky already?

 

[Kirmie]

Quote:

The ships would continually spray fine jets of seawater droplets into the sky, where tiny salt crystals would act as nuclei around which water vapour would condense, producing clouds or thickening them where they already exist.

Isn't desalination of the oceans one of the downsides to global warming? It could be offset by the added water retained in the air I guess though.

 

[Gunderman456]

Slippery slope.

The question here is why do we need to take such measures and what is causing more and more radiation to hit earth?

I remember as a child not needing sunscreen to play outside, and now it's practically a necessity.

Please keep screwing the planet and relying on science to fix it (temporarily), until there comes a point of no return.

 

[DuckieHo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunderman456;13023709
I remember as a child not needing sunscreen to play outside, and now it's practically a necessity.

That's because of lack of information.

i.e. Babies should sleep on their back, not stomach as they have been for the last 50+ years in the US.

 

[l No l FeaR l]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunderman456;13023709
Slippery slope.

The question here is why do we need to take such measures and what is causing more and more radiation to hit earth?

I remember as a child not needing sunscreen to play outside, and now it's practically a necessity.

Please keep screwing the planet and relying on science to fix it (temporarily), until there comes a point of no return.

It's the lack of proper education and proper science that has prevented us from "fixing" what we've screwed up in the past. We, as an intelligent species, need to learn how to control our environment and weather.

 

[subliminally incorrect]

Quote:

Originally Posted by l No l FeaR l It's the lack of proper education and proper science that has prevented us from "fixing" what we've screwed up in the past. We, as an intelligent species, need to learn how to control our environment and weather.

We as a human species/society we need to control ourselves first and readjust our demands out of the planet to sustain it, and not "fix it" with patch work like spraying chemicals into the air that may have ramifications later down the road.

 

[Kirmie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckieHo That's because of lack of information. i.e. Babies should sleep on their back, not stomach as they have been for the last 50+ years in the US.

Heck, it may not even be that. It could just be that as a child this guy was outside more often and had a better base tan. Or even that he lived in an area where the sun wasn't as strong. Like how I didn't need sun block on normal summer days at home in high school but if I went to Florida in the early spring I could get sun poisoning in less than 20 minutes. Though in general the education thing is the big difference.

I think that most of the baby stuff is a load of over protective hogwash though where a lot of people are educated but not thoroughly enough. Like the parents that have to sanitize everything in the world but never consider the fact that the kid will never develop their immune system in a sterile environment. But that's a story for another day.

 

[pale_neon]

This reminds me of Michio Kaku's idea of putting giant mirror's in space. Same concept different execution. Probably a lot less expensive as well.

 

[Daegameth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gunderman456 The question here is why do we need to take such measures and what is causing more and more radiation to hit earth?

It's not that more solar radiation is hitting the earth, it's that there are more gasses in the atmosphere to absorb that radiation and retain it as heat. Reflect some of the radiation and there's less to be absorbed.

 

[pale_neon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daegameth It's not that more solar radiation is hitting the earth, it's that there are more gasses in the atmosphere to absorb that radiation and retain it as heat. Reflect some of the radiation and there's less to be absorbed.

exactly.

greenhouse effect. don't they teach earth science in high schools anymore?

 

[Gunderman456]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daegameth It's not that more solar radiation is hitting the earth, it's that there are more gasses in the atmosphere to absorb that radiation and retain it as heat. Reflect some of the radiation and there's less to be absorbed.

I never discussed the reason for the radiation. In that case produce fewer gasses and don't rely on science to fix things when we can by changing our need eccentric behaviours.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirmie Heck, it may not even be that. It could just be that as a child this guy was outside more often and had a better base tan. Or even that he lived in an area where the sun wasn't as strong. Like how I didn't need sun block on normal summer days at home in high school but if I went to Florida in the early spring I could get sun poisoning in less than 20 minutes. Though in general the education thing is the big difference. I think that most of the baby stuff is a load of over protective hogwash though where a lot of people are educated but not thoroughly enough. Like the parents that have to sanitize everything in the world but never consider the fact that the kid will never develop their immune system in a sterile environment. But that's a story for another day.

Additionally, yes it must be my level of education that lacks. When I was younger I'd play outside all day and not even gain much of a tan, but now when I go outside for 20 minutes, I feel that my skin is about to fry off. It must be that my lack of education is causing the burn. Google "weakening magnetic field" and get an education for yourself.

 

[mdatmo]

Methods such as this could mitigate climate change, however it would do nothing to combat ocean acidification.

 

[nsilva]

Colder? ...****.

 

[srsdude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirmie;13023687
Isn't desalination of the oceans one of the downsides to global warming? It could be offset by the added water retained in the air I guess though.

we're just gonna have salt everywhere after it rains