this global warming fix stinks

this global warming fix stinks subscribe renew give a gift change address international questions cars 2.0 culture entertainment gadgets gaming how to med-tech politics science software techbiz commentary multimedia wired insider all autopia beyond the beyond compiler danger room epicenter gadget lab game | life geekdad   listening post the underwire threat level wired science   top stories magazine wired blogs all wired science  :  discoveries   this global warming fix stinks elizabeth svoboda 08.21.06 | 2:00 am in the infamous “who shot mr. burns?” episode of the simpsons, mr. burns designs a giant sun-blocking disc to ensure the town's dependence on nuclear power. a nobel laureate has proposed a similar strategy with a nobler purpose: stopping global warming. scientists agree that the planet is getting warmer because excess carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere acts like a pane of glass, trapping heat from solar radiation. using less electricity and driving less are often recommended by climatologists to reduce carbon emissions. but paul crutzen, a director at the max planck institute for chemistry in germany, has a very different idea: he recommends injecting massive amounts of sulfur into the upper atmosphere so less sun will penetrate it. stanford ecologist ken caldeira, who has investigated similar climate-modification strategies, thinks crutzen's clout will drive this seemingly off-the-wall project forward. efforts to manipulate the environment fall under a category known as geoengineering, which "lived in a shadowy netherworld, just beyond what was considered politically acceptable," caldeira said. "crutzen's paper is important because it shines a light on geoengineering, bringing it out of that netherworld." crutzen published his proposal in the august issue of climatic change. he won the 1995 nobel prize in chemistry for his work on the ozone layer. when sulfur particles are released into the earth's atmosphere, they reflect solar radiation back into space much as large ice sheets in the arctic do. crutzen envisions lofting sulfur into the stratosphere on small balloon crafts, which will use artillery guns to release their smelly payload. it's a response, crutzen writes, to the failure of international political efforts to establish carbon emission limits. "the preferred way to resolve this dilemma is to lower the emissions of greenhouse gases," he said in the climatic change editorial. "however, so far, attempts in that direction have been grossly unsuccessful." crutzen's idea might sound surreal, but it was inspired by a natural event. when mt. pinatubo in the philippines erupted in 1991, it sprayed millions of tons of sulfur into the atmosphere. much to scientists' surprise, the sulfur reflected so much sun that the earth’s surface cooled by almost one full degree fahrenheit in the year following the eruption. because sulfur can achieve such immediate cooling effects, some scientists think crutzen's plan could lower global temperatures even as more carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere. "it's a short-term fix to a long-term problem," said stephen schwartz, an atmospheric scientist at brookhaven national laboratory. "our entire energy economy is dependent on burning fossil fuel, and that's not going to stop anytime soon. we need a stopgap solution." but schwartz cautions that sulfur-spraying would not enable the international community to shelve measures like the kyoto protocol. the sulfur solution would not be permanent, since the element lingers in the atmosphere for only a couple of years. carbon dioxide, on the other hand, stays around for more than a century. in addition, says john latham, an atmospheric scientist at the national center for atmospheric research, the ecological domino effect of shooting sulfur into the stratosphere is unpredictable. "many species of plants, for instance, depend on specific amounts of sunlight to complete their normal growth cycles," he said. "if sulfur clouds blot this light out, even slightly, the ecosystems these plants belong to could be irrevocably altered." still, latham believes the consequences of doing nothing could be grave. a few years ago, he proposed his own artificial global-warming fix: spray droplets of ocean water into the air to encourage formation of clouds that would bounce solar rays back into space. "among the major oil-burning countries, there's very little sign that we're going to limit our consumption of fossil fuels," he said. "because of that, it's good for our future that someone of crutzen's distinction has come into the arena." add this to: digg del.icio.us sphere see also: global warming's silver lining playing with frozen fire home pcs predict hotter earth science braces for second term kyoto becoming bush's waterloo? search wired top stories magazine wired blogs all wired related topics: science , politics , discoveries , law email article print full page comments sponsored by:  most popular most commented popular today on wired gore, joy see green economy powered by silicon valley the helicopter: a hundred years of hovering google's click-fraud crackdown new method uses bacteria to generate hydrogen gas internet porn: worse than crack? click fraud: problem and paranoia google tests new moneymaker your outboard brain knows all they want their id chips now implantable chip, on sale now most commented coming soon to a theater near you: the singularity internet porn: worse than crack? gore, joy see green economy powered by silicon valley the helicopter: a hundred years of hovering new method uses bacteria to generate hydrogen gas most dangerous object in the office this month: booster blades beowulf f/x masters put a new spin on 3-d dyno nobel's super ez connector is the blast master of timed explosions apple stock crash means it's time to go long on aapl they want their id chips now sponsored by:  what's ahead your browser must support javascript to view this content. please enable javascript in your browser settings then try again. view wired calendar | submit an event services subscription: subscribe | give a gift | renew | international | questions | change address quick links: contact us | login/registerlogout | rss feeds | wired mobile | faq | site map | letters to the editors   corrections | contact us | letters to the editor | wired staff | press center | faq | wired insider | sitemap | login/registration subscription questions | renew subscription | give a gift | international subscriptions | advertising | media kit | careers visit our sister sites: concierge | epicurious | men.style.com | style.com | flip.com | wired.com | lipstick.com | nutritiondata | ym | allure | architectural digest | bridescookie | condé nast portfolio | domino | glamour | house & garden | lucky | men's vogue | self | teen vogue | the new yorker | vanity fair subscribe to a magazine: view special offers view all titles allure architectural digest bon appétit brides condé nast portfolio condé nast traveler cookie details domino elegant bride gq glamour golf digest golf world golf for women gourmet house & garden lucky men's vogue modern bride self teen vogue the new yorker vanity fair vogue w wired © 2007 condénet, inc. all rights reserved.use of this site constitutes acceptance of our user agreement and privacy policy

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