It’s a great idea if it is made of glacial rock dust. Moving the oceans back to a semblance of their former PH and having nothing but positive effects on continental soil.
Simple things like a living green roof, painting every hard surface or somehow incorporating it in the product as white. Passive, smart design type things. There are many examples of incredibly knowledgeable landscape architects working with climatologists on directing breeze and shade pockets to relieve the urban heat sink effect. Successfully if done correctly.
There’s no way the glacial rock dust unintended consequences could be greater than an infinitesimal unintended consequences of the last 180 years. You got to play the hand you were dealt.
Reflecting sunlight certainly does work. There is an area in Spain that specializes in vegetable starts from seed for retail with hundreds of hectares covered in white plastic. It has dropped the regional temperature by 2° C
Reflective surfaces, simple white paint as you point out, a living roof or even white shingles (not my favorite because shingles no doubt are terrible from a manufacturing perspective) would make a difference. How many square feet of roofs are out there? Pavement. What a heat absorber. If we closed our cities to cars, we could eliminate most of that and plant trees and make parks. I would guess it would make our cities safer, too, everyone with access to something natural in their lives. Mental health would likely improve as well.
You’ve got to check out a product called bio fiber. It’s hemp fiber and resin much like carbon fiber technology but it actually has a negative carbon footprint and you can build anything with it. It’s like adult Legos. Underground above ground, structural everything. And it could be grown without any fossil fuel inputs organically, no GMO‘s without pesticides or synthetic fertilizer.
Roofing material should be made with the last fossil fuel plastic left on earth. And then covered with solar panels ....😉
I don’t think we’re gonna bust out a Dyson sphere anytime soon . 🤷♂️
The best remedy for life on planet earth in the early 21st-century is the same as it always was.
ALWAYS hug the ones you love every chance you get.
The end, is going to be completely different though. Were the only animal to ever shit and its own nest to the point of extinction. We are dead species walking.
I opened a window in my browser to check out bio fiber in the morning, thanks. As to the Dyson sphere, call me a Luddite. Everything we need is here on Earth. We evolved here with her. There will never be a more perfect home for us. The sun won't burn us up for a billion years, so there is really no need if we simply take care of what we have. I mean, does any species last for a billion years? Highly improbable.
Hugging the ones you love and random acts of kindness should always be encouraged.
I, too, am pessimistic about our future. Or perhaps just realistic. 6,000 years of supposed civilization where we continue to hate and kill each other, inventing more effective ways the whole time. At this moment of existential threat posed by climate change, we are still unable to unify. That reality is so awful, that I am certain I don't completely grasp it, even if I know it intellectually.
There's a part of me that thinks it's all quite deliberate.
Yes, that's one of the reasons I wrote the article. This is a direction that could well happen. I wanted to understand the technology and share it with my readers. No doubt we have been meddling with the atmosphere since the industrial revolution, as you point out.
Thank you, Pam, I appreciate your comment. Scientists possess amazing knowledge that should be front and center of policymaking, but their professional publications can be difficult to understand. I think it's extremely important to make this information available in an accessible way. As many as possible need to understand climate science, if we are to demand rational policymaking. All decisions moving forward need to come from a planet first perspective if we are to have a future. We are breaking our life support system and running short of time.
Thanks for sending me here Geoff - yes I was aware in principle of such dangers but you explain them well here. I discovered SIA from KSR’s ‘Ministry for the future’ novel, where India use them without global consensus precisely to create a localised effect and protect from heatwaves, to the anger of nearby regions fearful of reduced rainfall. I don’t see us on a track where mitigation short term isn’t implemented especially if there are catastrophic disasters. So more science on the consequences of geoengineering in advance of their snap judgement implementation is good probably, as unpleasant a proposition as it may be.
Would love to see you look up and evaluate this glacier ice pumping I was mentioning though, not sure how much modelling has been done on it, but it seems to involve less potential side effects - however it would take much greater combined effort from wealthy states (with substantial navies) and be far less likely to be implemented. Might be worthwhile for an article!
Bless your efforts highly appreciate your work - keep going 👌🙏
Thank you for the encouragement. My one frustration in doing this is not being able to keep up with all that I would like to address! My next article is likely to focus on the energy use of AI which could be problematic. However, I will start a folder of links to glacier ice pumping to remind myself of the topic. I appreciate the suggestion.
Very interesting article. I had not heard about SAI, but it sounds like a promising idea. This is such a huge problem that I am sure any real progress will require multiple solutions working together. It is worth the effort of exploring new ideas to find as many as possible that will help.
If the general population could see the urgency of our situation, maybe the people in charge would take notice. Hopefully, many people around the world, like you, are helping to get the word out.
Some scientists are pushing for this, others are quite leery of it. Other ideas are out there, such as carbon capture systems, which I consider to be sheer oil company propaganda, or planting a trillion trees. Carbon offset programs have been thoroughly abused, and trees come nowhere close to mitigating the problem. I suspect we will be forced to try SAI, but as I pointed out in my bullet list, there are many variables and unknowns. Considering our behavior to date, I suspect any cooling from it would be used to delay weaning off of oil, which creates a very dangerous situation should SAI be paused or terminated for any reason, a sudden and profound rise in global temperature disguised by the masking. The real solution which is not talked about or attempted is cutting energy use through degrowth, as I wrote about in July. That's a sustainable vision that would bring social equity to the world. Of course, there is little to no hope for that vision happening. The bottom line is we are wildly overpopulated and a lucky few of us consume far more resources than we have a right to. It's going to stop one way or another. The planet is going to make sure of that. With climate change, social systems are destined to break down unless we get serious now.
Geoffrey, what is your take on chem trails? I live in the high desert southwest, and we have whole skies full of them half a dozen days a year or more. I have photos. There is a clear difference between them and contrails (which rapidly dissipate). Could these be industry or government "research?" If SAI is even going to be considered, wouldn't somebody be doing test runs?
Jet exhaust is hot and humid. The upper atmosphere is extremely cold (like -40° F) and dry. This causes ice crystals to form, which can linger for hours. SAI is indeed being researched, but as far as I know just at a laboratory level. How small scale lab tests could be performed at real world scale beats me, as it would depend on a huge amount of particulates spreading over wide distances with the nuances of local and regional weather conditions as factors. Seems like we're all in, or not on that, unless temporary local effect is possible. I doubt the trails from jets here and there could be used to make a meaningful, measurable difference worthy of scientific measurement. Also, if they were dumping particulates or chemicals, that would have to be a separate system, not through the exhaust. Jet engines are particular about what they'll fly on.
Geoff: Always learning new information and unintended consequences including the world's inherent complexity and parts of the system responding to changes in the environment. For a non-scientist you are able to digest the formidable information well, despite the depressing reality, it peaks my interest. Thank you.
Glad you found the article useful. Perhaps there was some science done on the effect of Pinatubo on pollinators, birds and our non-human cousins. The volcano produced a haze high in the sky, what percentage reached the ground or how long that took I don't know. Both bees and birds are great at navigating by landmarks, so probably the particulates didn't affect them that way, but that's just a guess, not research.
No-till is catching on with some farms now. How many I don't know, but I did see something about that. There is much to be learned from the way things were done, when simple machines depended on the muscle power of people and animals. If you can get it, Victorian Farm on PBS (originally BBC) was an awesome series on that type of life. Extremely difficult, of course, but with many lost lessons, some of which we should reapply. Here's an online link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FccBO3JO810
The depletion of nutrients in our soil is a serious and worthy subject.
It’s a great idea if it is made of glacial rock dust. Moving the oceans back to a semblance of their former PH and having nothing but positive effects on continental soil.
Now would be a good time.
The potential for unintended consequences seem high to me, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this scenario roll out.
Simple things like a living green roof, painting every hard surface or somehow incorporating it in the product as white. Passive, smart design type things. There are many examples of incredibly knowledgeable landscape architects working with climatologists on directing breeze and shade pockets to relieve the urban heat sink effect. Successfully if done correctly.
There’s no way the glacial rock dust unintended consequences could be greater than an infinitesimal unintended consequences of the last 180 years. You got to play the hand you were dealt.
Reflecting sunlight certainly does work. There is an area in Spain that specializes in vegetable starts from seed for retail with hundreds of hectares covered in white plastic. It has dropped the regional temperature by 2° C
Reflective surfaces, simple white paint as you point out, a living roof or even white shingles (not my favorite because shingles no doubt are terrible from a manufacturing perspective) would make a difference. How many square feet of roofs are out there? Pavement. What a heat absorber. If we closed our cities to cars, we could eliminate most of that and plant trees and make parks. I would guess it would make our cities safer, too, everyone with access to something natural in their lives. Mental health would likely improve as well.
You’ve got to check out a product called bio fiber. It’s hemp fiber and resin much like carbon fiber technology but it actually has a negative carbon footprint and you can build anything with it. It’s like adult Legos. Underground above ground, structural everything. And it could be grown without any fossil fuel inputs organically, no GMO‘s without pesticides or synthetic fertilizer.
Roofing material should be made with the last fossil fuel plastic left on earth. And then covered with solar panels ....😉
I don’t think we’re gonna bust out a Dyson sphere anytime soon . 🤷♂️
The best remedy for life on planet earth in the early 21st-century is the same as it always was.
ALWAYS hug the ones you love every chance you get.
The end, is going to be completely different though. Were the only animal to ever shit and its own nest to the point of extinction. We are dead species walking.
I opened a window in my browser to check out bio fiber in the morning, thanks. As to the Dyson sphere, call me a Luddite. Everything we need is here on Earth. We evolved here with her. There will never be a more perfect home for us. The sun won't burn us up for a billion years, so there is really no need if we simply take care of what we have. I mean, does any species last for a billion years? Highly improbable.
Hugging the ones you love and random acts of kindness should always be encouraged.
I, too, am pessimistic about our future. Or perhaps just realistic. 6,000 years of supposed civilization where we continue to hate and kill each other, inventing more effective ways the whole time. At this moment of existential threat posed by climate change, we are still unable to unify. That reality is so awful, that I am certain I don't completely grasp it, even if I know it intellectually.
There's a part of me that thinks it's all quite deliberate.
https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/circumstantial-evidence
Yes, that's one of the reasons I wrote the article. This is a direction that could well happen. I wanted to understand the technology and share it with my readers. No doubt we have been meddling with the atmosphere since the industrial revolution, as you point out.
Thank you, Pam, I appreciate your comment. Scientists possess amazing knowledge that should be front and center of policymaking, but their professional publications can be difficult to understand. I think it's extremely important to make this information available in an accessible way. As many as possible need to understand climate science, if we are to demand rational policymaking. All decisions moving forward need to come from a planet first perspective if we are to have a future. We are breaking our life support system and running short of time.
Thanks for sending me here Geoff - yes I was aware in principle of such dangers but you explain them well here. I discovered SIA from KSR’s ‘Ministry for the future’ novel, where India use them without global consensus precisely to create a localised effect and protect from heatwaves, to the anger of nearby regions fearful of reduced rainfall. I don’t see us on a track where mitigation short term isn’t implemented especially if there are catastrophic disasters. So more science on the consequences of geoengineering in advance of their snap judgement implementation is good probably, as unpleasant a proposition as it may be.
Would love to see you look up and evaluate this glacier ice pumping I was mentioning though, not sure how much modelling has been done on it, but it seems to involve less potential side effects - however it would take much greater combined effort from wealthy states (with substantial navies) and be far less likely to be implemented. Might be worthwhile for an article!
Bless your efforts highly appreciate your work - keep going 👌🙏
Thank you for the encouragement. My one frustration in doing this is not being able to keep up with all that I would like to address! My next article is likely to focus on the energy use of AI which could be problematic. However, I will start a folder of links to glacier ice pumping to remind myself of the topic. I appreciate the suggestion.
Very interesting article. I had not heard about SAI, but it sounds like a promising idea. This is such a huge problem that I am sure any real progress will require multiple solutions working together. It is worth the effort of exploring new ideas to find as many as possible that will help.
If the general population could see the urgency of our situation, maybe the people in charge would take notice. Hopefully, many people around the world, like you, are helping to get the word out.
Some scientists are pushing for this, others are quite leery of it. Other ideas are out there, such as carbon capture systems, which I consider to be sheer oil company propaganda, or planting a trillion trees. Carbon offset programs have been thoroughly abused, and trees come nowhere close to mitigating the problem. I suspect we will be forced to try SAI, but as I pointed out in my bullet list, there are many variables and unknowns. Considering our behavior to date, I suspect any cooling from it would be used to delay weaning off of oil, which creates a very dangerous situation should SAI be paused or terminated for any reason, a sudden and profound rise in global temperature disguised by the masking. The real solution which is not talked about or attempted is cutting energy use through degrowth, as I wrote about in July. That's a sustainable vision that would bring social equity to the world. Of course, there is little to no hope for that vision happening. The bottom line is we are wildly overpopulated and a lucky few of us consume far more resources than we have a right to. It's going to stop one way or another. The planet is going to make sure of that. With climate change, social systems are destined to break down unless we get serious now.
https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/degrowth-the-vision-we-must-demand
Geoffrey, what is your take on chem trails? I live in the high desert southwest, and we have whole skies full of them half a dozen days a year or more. I have photos. There is a clear difference between them and contrails (which rapidly dissipate). Could these be industry or government "research?" If SAI is even going to be considered, wouldn't somebody be doing test runs?
Jet exhaust is hot and humid. The upper atmosphere is extremely cold (like -40° F) and dry. This causes ice crystals to form, which can linger for hours. SAI is indeed being researched, but as far as I know just at a laboratory level. How small scale lab tests could be performed at real world scale beats me, as it would depend on a huge amount of particulates spreading over wide distances with the nuances of local and regional weather conditions as factors. Seems like we're all in, or not on that, unless temporary local effect is possible. I doubt the trails from jets here and there could be used to make a meaningful, measurable difference worthy of scientific measurement. Also, if they were dumping particulates or chemicals, that would have to be a separate system, not through the exhaust. Jet engines are particular about what they'll fly on.
https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/what-are-chemtrails.htm
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-are-chemtrails-made-of/
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/13/what-is-solar-geoengineering-sunlight-reflection-risks-and-benefits.html
No. There’s no such thing. Please
Geoff: Always learning new information and unintended consequences including the world's inherent complexity and parts of the system responding to changes in the environment. For a non-scientist you are able to digest the formidable information well, despite the depressing reality, it peaks my interest. Thank you.
Glad you found the article useful. Perhaps there was some science done on the effect of Pinatubo on pollinators, birds and our non-human cousins. The volcano produced a haze high in the sky, what percentage reached the ground or how long that took I don't know. Both bees and birds are great at navigating by landmarks, so probably the particulates didn't affect them that way, but that's just a guess, not research.
No-till is catching on with some farms now. How many I don't know, but I did see something about that. There is much to be learned from the way things were done, when simple machines depended on the muscle power of people and animals. If you can get it, Victorian Farm on PBS (originally BBC) was an awesome series on that type of life. Extremely difficult, of course, but with many lost lessons, some of which we should reapply. Here's an online link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FccBO3JO810
The depletion of nutrients in our soil is a serious and worthy subject.