10 votes

Scientists present plan to cool the world through geoengineering whiter clouds

7 comments

  1. [6]
    Wulfsta
    Link
    Is there any concern about how much sunlight goes into the deep ocean? If this sort of thing is done, does it shift the areas different creatures can inhabit due to the amount of energy getting there?

    Is there any concern about how much sunlight goes into the deep ocean? If this sort of thing is done, does it shift the areas different creatures can inhabit due to the amount of energy getting there?

    2 votes
    1. [5]
      Kuromantis
      Link Parent
      According to wiki, most sunlight doesn't make it past 200 meters and none makes it to one kilometer so I'm not sure how much this would change that.

      According to wiki, most sunlight doesn't make it past 200 meters and none makes it to one kilometer so I'm not sure how much this would change that.

      4 votes
      1. [4]
        Wulfsta
        Link Parent
        Sure, but overall there is less sunlight getting absorbed by the water, right? I guess it’s not even really about sunlight getting there, just that on average we reduce the amount of energy going...

        Sure, but overall there is less sunlight getting absorbed by the water, right? I guess it’s not even really about sunlight getting there, just that on average we reduce the amount of energy going into the ocean.

        3 votes
        1. [3]
          Toric
          Link Parent
          That is, in fact, the point. (well, not specifically the ocean, but land as well) The goal is to reduce the total energy that gets input into the earth as a system, to concentrate for things like...

          just that on average we reduce the amount of energy going into the ocean

          That is, in fact, the point. (well, not specifically the ocean, but land as well)

          The goal is to reduce the total energy that gets input into the earth as a system, to concentrate for things like more energy being trapped by co2 and more energy being absorbed in the first place by melting ice caps reducing albedo.

          Making the cloud 'whiter' reduces the energy absorbed by earth by increasing the energy reflected back into space.

          At this point, we are past the point of caring to much about minor effects to sea life. Continued warming is an existential threat to humanity, and needs to be stopped, even if it leads to an extinction or two. There will be a lot more extinctions if warming continues un-combated.

          9 votes
          1. [2]
            krg
            Link Parent
            Alternatively, humanity can go ahead and bite the big one and give these other species a chance to evolve and do terrible things to this planet.

            Alternatively, humanity can go ahead and bite the big one and give these other species a chance to evolve and do terrible things to this planet.

            1 vote
            1. [2]
              Comment deleted by author
              Link Parent
              1. krg
                Link Parent
                This is the timescale I imagined. Earth has been around for a while, and I suspect if we wreck it for ourselves... it may be around for a while more. Possibly long enough for any living remnants...

                At least not for millions of years.

                This is the timescale I imagined.

                Earth has been around for a while, and I suspect if we wreck it for ourselves... it may be around for a while more. Possibly long enough for any living remnants to get better at living. Good enough to eventually create problems for themselves, even.

                In the words of our favorite fictional chaos theorist: “Life.. uh.. finds a way.”

                3 votes
  2. moocow1452
    Link
    This sounds like the first act of a SyFy movie of the week. Hopefully this helps without making an evil fog monster.

    This sounds like the first act of a SyFy movie of the week. Hopefully this helps without making an evil fog monster.

    5 votes