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
- Marc Uover 11 yearsI learned that is will take 8billion dollars to refreeze the artic, second the ice was a third of the thickness from 1980' s third and last of all David Keith was the one who started this.
- Marc Uover 11 yearsI learned that a man named David Keith was trying to refreeze the artics ice, second I learned the ice has decreased from global warming by a third since 1980's,third and that a 0.5 percent reduction of sunlight could restore the sea ice and it would cost 8 billion dollars to refreeze the ice.
- chihuahuas rockover 11 yearsWhy can't we make an atempt to save mother nature?
- zebrasover 11 yearsthis is great
matty955over 11 yearsto many big words- nicholasover 11 yearsI learned that the ice in the arctic ocean is about half of what it was in the 1980's. second I learned that david keith was trying to freeze back ice. finally I learned that it would cost 8 billion dollars to refreeze the ice
- Alyssaover 11 yearsI learned that a 0.5% reduction in sunlight penetration could restore the sea ice. seconed of all, I learned that scientists think that they could stop global warming with $8 billion USD. lastly, I learned that ice caps are a very important thing.
- what31over 11 yearswhat r the chemicals 2 make it anyway. P.S I am the 1st one! Woooooo Hoooooooooo!
- Balaover 11 yearsI learned that David Keith has an idea to refreeze the arctic. Second, I learned that in 100 years the ice in the arctic has gone down by 46%. Last of all, I learned that the idea that Keith had would cost $8000000000.
- Graceover 11 yearsI have learned that the ice in the Arctic Ocean is today about half of what it was in the 1980's. Another thing I have learned that Harvard University's Professor David Keith has a bold idea to make Arctic water refreeze. The last thing I have learned is that the project will only cost $8 billion.