In fact - did you know that clouds are already reflecting more than the amount of solar radiation which has been captured by anthropogenic carbon dioxide (Mims, 2009)? Ergo, Latham's idea utilises and optimises the current functionality of clouds to our advantage to reduce the induced impacts of climate change, and encourage a greater reflectivity of sunlight through the artificial generation of a seawater mist to the clouds in our atmosphere.
Source: Giphy |
Many have debated different ideas; from collisions between air-saturated jets of water, a hydraulic equivalent of a photomultiplier, vibrating piezoelectric vapourisers, or to simply forcing water through 0.8 micron diameter holes in a wafer-thin sheet of Silicon. Over 1.5 billion holes would be required for a silicon slice only 20cm in width (Mims, 2009). This is an obstacle in itself- what is the most appropriate method? Silicon was suggested as the material of choice but its ability to withstand high pressure in experiments has been discouraging. There is also a need for uniformity in size of the water droplets, as to not run the risk of larger heavier droplets falling as rain prior to elevation of the mist (Mims, 2009).
Let's say hypothetically that the ability to generate a seawater mist is achieved- how are we to elevate it to 1000 metres high into the air?
Well, Stephen Salter from Edinburgh University has been engineering a concept of wind-powered, remote-controlled, unmanned Flettner vessels (Salter et al. 2008), otherwise known as 'albedo yachts' (see image below). The Flettner motors can transform wind energy into thrust to generate lift of the seawater particles upwards (Mims, 2009). Over 1500 of these vessels would need to be deployed worldwide and transforming 30 litres of saltwater per second in order to correspond to the rate of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations, but not without a hefty construction cost of between $3.2-4.8 billion (Mims, 2009)!
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Source: UCAR |
Models have similarly suggested that under conditions of double the current carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, full seeding of marine cloud brightening would reduce precipitation in the Amazon, North America and South East Asia, but would however increase precipitation in Africa and Australia (Latham et al. 2012)! Is this a fair compromise to make? The influence of marine cloud brightening will definitely result in a global environmental change and affect the entirety of the global population.
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Source: Eating jellyfish |
Rasch et al. (2009) have similarly suggested that an increase in planetary albedo cannot and will not compensate for increasing greenhouse gases especially in relation to consequences such as ocean acidification which could destroy many marine ecosystems. It merely provides extra time for us to ponder over future uncertainties and hopefully come up with an appropriate mitigation response.
However, the problem of time is that it always runs out.
Till next time!
S xx