Can We Refreeze The Arctic? This Scientist Certainly Thinks So
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Thanks to global warming, the ice in the Arctic Ocean is today about half of what it was in the 1980's. Given that the situation can only get worse and governments are unable to come to a consensus about how to reverse the trend, one scientist is proposing a radical solution - To use modern technology to repair the damage.
Harvard University's Professor David Keith who has published two papers on the subject is proposing a bold idea that involves injecting reflective particles into areas close to the Arctic ice caps, so that less of the sun's heat would be absorbed. This in turn, would result in lowering temperatures and help some of the Arctic water to refreeze. According to Keith's calculations, just a 0.5% reduction in sunlight penetration could restore the sea ice, back to its former glory. The best part is, it would all be accomplished without cutting back any human created greenhouse gases.
While this may sounds almost impossible, the scientist maintains that the whole thing could be accomplished with the help of a few modified Gulfstream jets and cost just $8 billion USD. While that may sound a lot, it is a minuscule amount, if this idea really works.
So, what is the holdup? Why aren't governments all over the world jumping at being the first to give this a try? Because this kind of open air large-scale geoengineering has never been done before and nobody knows what the side effects will be - It could all work out fine or lead to something totally disastrous like collapsing the remaining ice sheets or worse, cause a massive drought. In fact environmentalists are so vary that the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity has a permanent ban on any such human attempt to try change nature.
Even Professor Keith agrees with that stance, which is why he is just laying out the idea in his research papers, but not, advocating its implementation - At least not just yet! Hopefully, we will be able to avoid these kind of experimental solutions and reverse global warming by simply, altering the way we lead our day-to-day lives.
Resources: inhabitat.com, dailymail.co.uk
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242 Comments
- Rileyalmost 12 yearsTo prevent global warming we could all help the planet by using less heat. Instead of using hot water when you wash you clothes use cold. I also learned that global warming is a big problem.
- Icy sundaealmost 12 yearsI learned that if we don't preserve ice we might die,,,.
- Annekealmost 12 yearsI learned that global warming is a big problem that only some people are trying to achieve a solution to. I also learned that there really is a possible solution.
- Justus+Aliciaalmost 12 yearsWhat we learned is if we don't do anything fast, the Arctic will melt, that the project will only cost 8,000,000,000 USD, and that you need jets to it.
- Awesomenessalmost 12 yearsI learned that we can freeze the arctic again,that global warming is causing the arctic to melt, and that the project will cost 8 billion dollars. I am Jonah the awesome man
- Jackalmost 12 yearsI learned that global worming is messing up the whole world! :(
- Clairealmost 12 yearsI learned that the earth changes a lot, that you can make a place cold, and that there is a ban on trying to change nature! I hope they can refreeze the arctic to save animals like polar bears and arctic foxes!!
- Milleralmost 12 yearsI learned that global warming is bad. And the arctic is unfreezing. And to fix it, it it might be around $8 billion dollars.
princessmangoalmost 12 yearsThat is great maybe the animals who love in the arctic can survive longer!- tsk tskalmost 12 yearsGreat!