Scientists have floated the melodic theme of refreezing the North and South poles by pump the Earth ’s ambience with microscopical particles to block out the sun . This , they say , is a “ feasible and unco cheap ” way to avert some of the impacts of theclimate crisis – although they admit it come with some risks .
do out the plan in a novel written report , the idea is to use a fleet of 125 high - altitude military aircraft to release aerosol particles into the stratosphere in both the northerly and Southern Hemispheres .
If injected at a summit of 13,106 meters ( 43,000 feet ) at a latitude roughly the same as Anchorage in southern Alaska and the southern tip of Patagonia , then the particle would drift towards the poles and shade the aerofoil beneath from sunlight .
Less solar energy means less heat . If done aright , the researchers argue this could drop the temperature in the arctic realm by 2 ° C ( 3.6 ° F ) , roughly the same as pre - industrial levels . In turn , lower world-wide temperature would also be foster .
" secret plan - changing though this could be in a rapidly warm world , stratospheric aerosol injections merely handle a symptom of climate variety but not the underlying disease . It ’s Empirin , not penicillin . It ’s not a substitute for decarbonization , " Wake Smith , lead study author and an expert in geoengineering from Yale University , said in astatement .
" Any intentional turn of the global thermoregulator would be of common interest group to all of humanity and not simply the province of Arctic and Patagonian Carry Amelia Moore Nation , " Smith proceed .
The team worked out that this plan would be a nerveless $ 11 billion each year , a relatively modest summation of money considering how much climate change isexpected to be the mankind .
The Arctic iswarming fasterthan any other part of our planet due to a phenomenon have intercourse asArctic amplificationor opposite amplification . However , that ’s not the prime reasonableness the polar region are being direct in this plan . The researchers picked this area of Earth because its sparsely populated , meaning relatively few citizenry would be impacted if it were to go wrong .
“ There is far-flung and sensible trepidation about deploy aerosols to cool the planet , " added Smith , " but if the risk / benefit equation were to give off anywhere , it would be at the rod . "
If you call up the idea of deflect out the Sun is the stuff of comically evil villains , you ’re not alone . In former 2022 , a group of scientists and governance student signed a letterurging a ban on technologythat looks to reduce incoming sunlight on Earth . While the deepening mood crisis is make this kind of move more tantalizing , they argue that it could have unforeseeable rap - on effects across the world .
" The peril of solar geoengineering are poorly infer and can never be fully known , " the signatory wrote in their missive . " wallop will variegate across regions , and there are uncertainties about the effect on weather patterns , agriculture , and the provision of introductory needs of solid food and body of water . "
" The speculative possibility of future solar geoengineering risks becoming a sinewy argument for industry lobbyists , climate denialists , and some governments to retard decarbonisation insurance , " they supply .
The new study was published in the journalEnvironmental Research Communications .
