A proposed solution to Global Warming?
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160425-how-a-giant-space-umbrella-could-stop-global-warming
BBC - Future - How a giant space umbrella could stop ...
www.bbc.com
Our rapidly warming world could cause serious problems for civilization in the decades to come. But could a giant space umbrella help cool down our planet? Zaria ...
My OWN idea:
Rocketing A cloud of aluminum particles, every month for decades, at the L1 Orbit point, might do it.
Or, alternatively, using a rail-gun to fire small mirror-polished steel ball-bearings into the L1 Balance point between the Earth and the Sun might do it. A constant stream, several decades worth!
Build a mile-long rail-gun on an Andes hillside?
That would set up an actual umbrella, shielding us from the Sun, which is the SOURCE of Global Warming!
An ACTUAL, EFFECTIVE, Solution! Cost? A bit less than 2 TRILLION!!!
Not just a gesture like the "Paris Accord", which does basically NOTHING!
NASA says the "Paris Accord" would make a -0.05 degree drop in the rate(estimated +3 to +7 degrees) of Global Warming by 2100, that costs about 2 TRILLION dollars? We would STILL get a +2.95 to +6.95 degree rise!
Let me repeat: -0.05 degree drop = 2 TRILLION dollars!!!
Is that LOGICAL???
Comments?
Current technology is not ready for massive geoengineering actions. Furthermore, there is not enough scientific data to ensure geoengineering is safe and will not create additional climate issues.
So the only thing that can be done for now against global warming is to reduce emissions of CO2 and CH4.
Sun is not the cause of global warming. Since 1970 sun activity is decreasing but Earth keeps warming.
https://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-sunspots-global-warming.htm
WRONG!
I didn't say the Sun is the CAUSE of Global Warming, I said the SOURCE!
CO2 is just part of the Greenhouse trap that HOLDS the Sun's warmth, and prevents it from radiating back out into space at night. Otherwise we'd FREEZE at night! Space is average temp approx near -275 degrees!
CO2 is A SMALL part at that. 5%. The rest is water vapor about 94.5%. Can ANYTHING we do control water vapor(CLOUDS)? They're mostly from ocean evaporation.
Isn't it CURIOUS that the IPCC or the UN don't even MENTION water vapor??? THE MAJOR COMPONENT of the Greenhouse Effect?
As to: "Current technology is not ready for massive geoengineering actions." Piffle. We have RIGHT NOW ship-mounted rail-guns that can fire a 1-pound iron projectile at 3,000 ft/sec. Ball-bearings? An ounce? EASY!
If the World can build a multi-mile CERN rail-gun(that's what it IS!), we can build a mile-long one!
The only Climate ISSUE that would cause is a SLIGHT lowering of Solar radiation hitting the Earth, causing a shadow that would impact the Earth minimally, and cause an unnoticeable spot on the Sun(Do you EVER look directly at the SUN?).
It WOULD NOT cause a major impact, as we'd be trying to hopefully block 1 to 5% of heat radiation from an object a MILLION miles across! It would take YEARS to see any effect!
The shadow would not even be stationary, as the Earth rotates at 1,000/hour. L1 is stationary. The shadow would go past any point in a flash! MOSTLY near the Equator.
I'm an Engineer, I thought all that out!
I know you said source and not cause, but I said it just in case.
Yes, water vapor is the main source of greenhouse effect. The more the temperatures rise, the more the amount of water vapor rise, creating a positive feedback as well as ice melting.
Assuming that aluminum particles can be launched outside the atmosphere, how can direct them to L1 point? How can we ensure it does not hit any satellite or space junk?
Easy.
Launch them in a container programmed to discharge them when it reaches the L1 point. They'd be scattered into a lens/umbrella naturally by the balancing effect between the Earth and Sun's gravity-pull.
Same for the ball-bearings.
We KNOW how to plan launches to Mars, so L1 should be a breeze. Launch them in a semi-circular orbit that gets them to L1 with low orbital energy left(orbital mechanics, physics). They'll be trapped there by the same balance that IS the L1.
No problemo.
I sorta lean towards the ball-bearing solution because the aluminum solution would require ongoing rocket launches(more expensive) whereas the ball-bearing rail-gun, once built, would just face energy and ball-bearing manufacture costs. The rail-gun could not use aluminum.
Also, be careful of your language....water vapor is not the SOURCE of Global Warming either, it's the major CAUSE of GW!
And, YES, it may be human-caused.
I'm not arguing CAUSE, or DENYING GW, I'm presenting a possible SOLUTION.
The Paris Accord....is NOT A SOLUTION.