Science
Scientists Propose Cooling Earth By Spraying 12 Million Tons Of Particles From Boeing Jets
To cool the planet and stop global warming, scientists have been investigating methods to “dim the sun.”
Stratospheric aerosol injection is one method of lowering the quantity of sunlight that reaches the earth, although geoengineering approaches are proving to be contentious.
Previously, it was thought that aircraft would have to travel more than 12.4 miles in height. Therefore, in order to reach these heights, new aircraft would be needed.
But according to a recent study from University College London (UCL), geoengineering could be carried out by current aircraft, such as the Boeing 777F, which would release 12 million tonnes of particles into the atmosphere.
It might be done at lower altitudes, according to new computer simulations developed by UCL scientists and published in Earth’s Future.
Instead of cooling the planet at the tropics and higher up, as is usually thought, the scientists discovered that it would be able to cool it down at just 8.1 miles, close to the pole regions.
Commercial aircraft can already reach this altitude.
Lead author and PHD student at UCL’s Department of Earth Sciences, Alistair Duffey, said: “Solar geoengineering comes with serious risks and much more research is needed to understand its impacts.”
“However, our study suggests that it is easier to cool the planet with this particular intervention than we thought. This has implications for how quickly stratospheric aerosol injection could be started and by who.”
However, there is a catch: if similar particles were launched from a lower altitude, three times as much material would be required to achieve the same effect.
“At this lower altitude, stratospheric aerosol injection is about one third as effective,” Duffy added. But this does raise concerns about an increased likelihood of side effects like acid rain.
The expert went on to say, “The strategy would also be less effective at cooling the tropics, where the direct vulnerability to warming is highest.”
“However, climate change is a serious problem and it is vital to understand all our options, so that policy-makers have the evidence they need to make informed decisions.”
Approximately 12 million tonnes of sulphur dioxide would be utilised annually with the goal of reducing world temperatures by about 0.6C.
A £50 million project to investigate bouncing sunlight away from the Earth has been approved by the UK government, and geoengineering trials and analysis are scheduled to begin.
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