What is Earth’s temperature? What is it supposed to be?
Reversing course on climate change requires a global reduction in GHG emissions that we’re just not keeping pace with—and per the Wall Street Journal, desperate times call for desperate measures, at least to some scientists. The urgency of the times has prompted them to think way outside the box, sometimes hitting on taboo and untested ideas, which are now being more readily funded to study. The National Academy of Sciences recommended a “cautious approach” to testing newer technologies, like solar geoengineering, in 2021. Here are some of the more interesting ways researchers say we can slow down the effects of global warming, some of which are already being tested out.
- Brighten marine clouds: In a $64.55 million project, researchers are testing the effects of hosing a briny mixture into the air via high-pressure nozzles over the Great Barrier Reef. The hope here, according to WSJ, is that this will brighten low-altitude marine clouds, reflecting away sunlight and shading the reef, which is experiencing mass die-off from warming temperatures.
- Reflect sunlight with shiny stuff: The process has a more formal monicker, solar radiation management, but also works by reflecting the sun’s rays from the planet to cool Earth’s atmosphere. This entails injecting a cloud of tiny reflective particles 60,000 feet into the upper atmosphere so they can reflect sunlight back into space. A group called the Union of Concerned Scientists isn’t so much into testing SRM and cloud brightening due to unknown environmental risks among other things, and calls for strict oversight.
- Shield glaciers with underground walls: Glaciers are melting at astounding rates, and warmer ocean temperatures are accelerating the process below the surface. Per Discover Magazine, a paper in Nature suggests building enormous underwater walls as a buffer can slow this down. The authors say such barriers could delay melt for centuries in parts of Greenland and Antarctica, “buying time to address global warming.” But building the wall, for now, remains a theory.
- Store carbon in mechanical trees: Arizona State University engineering professor Klaus Lackner developed giant mechanical trees that capture and store carbon. The university’s first tree, which is 33 feet high, captures 200 pounds of carbon per day. On the flip side, carbon capture isn’t a “silver bullet,” according to Howard Herzog of the MIT Energy Initiative, and though the industry is flush with funding, some consider it a distraction from simpler solutions, CNN reports.
- Dump sodium hydroxide into the ocean: WSJ describes this one as giving the ocean a giant dose of Tums for its acidity problems. This summer, researchers plan to pour 6,000 gallons of chemicals, a liquid solution of sodium hydroxide, south of Martha’s Vineyard. Along with lowering acidity along the surface water, the effect may absorb CO2, storing 20 metric tons of it in the ocean.
They forgot one: Pour Brawndo on the crops!
https://youtu.be/kAqIJZeeXEc?si=NMre_B-nqTdGI7SR
“It’s got what plants crave! It’s got electrolytes”
Great Barrier Reef has just recorded a multi-year rapid growth period.
Reflect sunlight with shiny stuff: non-issue. Solar waves determine earths weather patterns and shiny crap will have no effect.
Glaciers are melting at astounding rates: No they are not.
Store carbon: The earth is at a critical low in CO2 in the atmosphere for thousands of centuries.
Dump sodium hydroxide into the ocean: pollute the ocean, great idea, NOT!
These are not scientists but climate change loons scamming $$.
Egotistical entitled do goodies just can’t stop messing with things that don’t need to be messed with.
Do gooders! ☝️
(edit button!! lol!)
Idjits thinking they can control the weather worries me a lot more than global warming.
Just as whatever society is doing know is wrong, whatever the temperature is now is not is not the correct temperature.
I’ve seen too many sci-fi and horror flicks to believe that screwing with the Earth’s regulatory mechanisms will lead to anything good.
I did my part by warming up a few rifle barrels today, don’t know if it helped Mother Gaia at all, but I sure feel better.
WOW, If they sew my ass shut, I’ll save the planet…
^^^ HAR HAR, not a joke.
I could curtail my annual earth day tire fire to 18 hours of black greasy smokey fun, but why?
According to “The Google,” ocean pH is about 8.1, (below 7.0 is acidic.) Also according to “The Google,) oceans contain about sixty times as much CO2 as does the atmosphere. For anyone who remembers high school chemistry, CO2 in water, (like seltzer water,) provides a buffer to stronger acids and bases. Better yet, those who stayed awake when the Equilibrium Law was presented will realize that MOAR CO2 in the oceans will stabilize the calcium carbonate exoskeletons from which reefs are made.
I have a tried and tested solution. Plant trees.
I’d like to suggest that everyone who thinks this (any of the above) is a good idea be put on a list, and then we can ak6in them to make umbrellas for the world.
Win-Win!
1) Painting all the black or dark-colored and black asphalt streets, highways, interstates, car tops, building rooftops and house rooftops throughout the world with permanent white or highly reflective silver paint would probably drastically reduce global heat retention by reflecting it back into outer space. But, polluting the upper atmosphere with aluminum (and heavy metal) particles? this would eventually settle to earth and poison animal and plant life, as it has already been investigated. Convictions, sentencing, and likely, very angry mobs await… for self-appointed idiots who have already perpetrated this crime they intentionally call an, “experiment” to combat Climate Change. – does anyone realize how dumb that sounds?. I mean, go tell THAT to a volcano on Hawaii.
2) The present global “average” CO2 level, is roughly 425-ppm (425 parts of CO2 in one-million parts of air). Reducing it to some 180-ppm (or lower) would initiate a cascading (and, irreversible) global extinction event, whereupon all organic organisms (ocean/land plants, vegetation, green things) that require CO2 to grow, and produce Oxygen through photosynthesis would become extinct within one season. All other organic life forms that require Oxygen to live would quickly starve and die out.
As an example, it’s sort of like looking at a tall mountain of trees and plants flourishing up to a point higher on the mountain. But, above that tree line, the mountain is completely bare. Some say that the reason nothing grows above that point is because there is not enough CO2 for plants to grow and also not enough CO2 to retain the warmth of the sun (so, it’s freezin’ up there), because CO2 is heavier than air and tends to sink and accumulate at lower elevations. And also, because of that, CO2 levels are found highest near sea level areas (like, many cities originating close to abundant water sources) and lowest, at high elevations (like, in the mountains).
You can easily find this out by actually going to those locations and measuring the CO2 levels with a dependable and calibrated CO2 meter. Simple! I had been doing that exact same thing for over 36 years as part of my job (and curiosity). And, my readings have always been consistent throughout all those years. CO2 in upper elevations and unpopulated, urban areas always ranged low, starting from as low as 265-ppm (in the upper mountains) and approaching as high as 445-ppm during rush hours in many cities near sea level.
But, what do us working folks know?
And we should trust people who want to reduce the earths population to only 500 million people.
Hard no.
And we should trust people who want to reduce the earths population to only 500 million people?
Hard no.
It just requires the commitment to build the world’s largest Thermostat. Then you’re set. Or at least the TV told me so.
What’s really ridiculous is people will believe they can do it.
great Idea about a thermostat but who gets to set it at what temperature. The Africans want it colder and the Siberians want it hotter.
Pure, unadulterated hubris.
“Pride goeth before destruction: and the spirit is lifted up before a fall.”
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
The Earth has billions of years of experience in self-regulation. It’s not going to change because we showed up with machines a couple hundred years ago!
Where’s the earths sphincter? A volcano someplace, maybe. And just how big of a rectal thermometer do the assholes on the left propose to check its temperature with. They could remake the 50’s classic sci fi movie The Day The Earth Stood Still as The Day The Earth Stood Still To Have Its Temperature Probed By Leftist Globull Warming Morons. The only thing that needs to probed here is leftist brains to see if there any signs of intelligent life. Which I doubt.
And when the earth continues its normal cycles, and nothing gets much worse or much better climatically, the grant recipients, like the witch doctors who commanded that the tides go in and out, the sun rise and set, and Modern Monetary Theory, will claim success.
Hey, Mr. Scientist – how about you just leave shit alone?
It’s all about the money.
Take from those who produce and give to those who don’t.
These charlatans (so-called “scientists”) are modern snake-oil salesmen – they peddle vague lies and promises, prognostications, predictions with horizons in some distant time, and have been PROVED WRONG – EVERY SINGLE TIME – but they still demand money to finance their phony schemes and hoaxes.
You’d think we would have learned after all the eco-bullshit throughout the 70s and 80s, but then you’d be ignorant of our “education” system.
mortem tyrannis
izlamo delenda est …
Part of the blame can be laid on the Ted Turner propaganda cartoon Capt. Planet from the late 80’s and early 90’s on TBS that brainwashed small kids into believing all the globull warming bs. I never let my kids watch that ever.
geoff – Now they have G.I. Don’t Know…
… and Genital Ben.
CO2 is plant food. Green leafy things will take all they can get and produce wood, food and oxygen. You’re being scammed
Both are probably made by the toy company Has-been bro.