|
Geoengineering – In the fight against global warming
20/Sep/2006: A few innovative scientists around the world are working on controversial approaches to tackle global warming, giving rise to a new field of science called ‘Geoengineering’.
Small mirrors in orbit reflecting sunlight, clouds sprayed with sea water, droplets of acids injected in to the stratosphere, a 240km mirror stationed between the earth and the sun - they may sound unreal, like weird fantasies tried out by a group of eccentrics, but we will be hearing more about these weird tricks of science, in the near future, as a unique group of scientists will try these tricks to save our planet from the deadly effects of global warming.
A British astronomer and a fellow of the Royal Society, Roger Angel, said that ideas that were considered to be completely baseless even a few years ago should be actively considered in the fight against global warming, as the world cannot wait for the row over the causes of climate changes to end, with the time span to react to these changes, running out fast. Dr. Angel, based at the University of Arizona, proposes to put trillions of light-weight lenses into orbit to reflect the sunlight falling on earth. Wallace Broecker, a pioneer in geoengineering, from the Columbia University feels that these eccentric ideas to tackle global warming, could buy us sometime to work out realistic ways of reducing emissions and controlling the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
Many mainstream scientists still believe that tampering natural processes could result in far reaching consequences, beyond our imagination. But the concept of geoengineering was underlined last week when NASA released data on the retreating Artic ice, which had accelerated in the last few years. People who support geoengineering have been reexamining proposals made in the last 30 years to reduce the impact of global warming, to identify viable ones that can be put in to use immediately, to tackle the worsening effects of global warming.
Critics of geoengineering continue to doubt the feasibility of such projects, which may cost millions of dollars, but we need to pull out something dramatic, to find a temporary solution to the climate change resulting from global warming, which is already causing pandemonium around the world.
Kesavan Siva
|
 Eco
Features
Eco
Guides
Health
& Lifestyle
Mail
This Page
Link
To Us
Bookmark
Archives
 Recent Articles
Cows contribute to global warming!
New treatment for acne scars
Researchers develop a novel treatment for dementia
Ovulation influence women’s lifestyle
Fighting global warming could benefit world economies
|
