Ending Global Warming !

Getting global nations to agree that we need to keep the world temperature from increasing more than 1.5 degrees is not the problem.   Most sign on the dotted line after every world conference to achieve that objective but the action plan to actually make it happen falls far short of realistic targets.

World government fears the repercussions if they legislate to seriously reduce the amount of fossil fuel we are burning to run our cars and generate electricity. We hope electric cars and both wind and solar electricity will eventually solve this problem, but each year the world temperature climbs a little higher.

Now science is offering us a very different alternative.  They are seriously suggesting that all we have to do is turn down the thermostat on the source of all this heat.  Just drop the warmth coming from our sun by a notch or two.

Strangely, this radical idea is theoretically possible.  They are suggesting that we employ aircraft to disperse sulphate particles in the upper atmosphere to act as a barrier against sunlight.   Such a barrier would dilute the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth and take care of our overheating problem.

Of course, this depends on us being able to design aircraft that can fly at a height of twenty kilometres and carry a payload of about 25 tonnes of sulphate.  They would need to criss cross the globe to deliver a uniform protective layer well above the area where the jet stream would disperse the cooling effect.

This is termed a " Stratospheric Aerosol Injection "  ( SAI )  and scientists estimate that putting it in place fifteen years from now would cost about $4.8 billion.   It would need annual renewal and so the ongoing cost would be $3.1 billion.  An insignificant sum when dispersed over all the nations of the world.

Getting world agreement on implementing a SAI could be a problem.  Some parts of the world have a short summer and a frigid winter.   They might take a dim view of reducing the sun's heat by a uniform five percent, and even that might reduce their agriculture output to zero.  Then there is the visual effect of installing a SAI.  Could it end the blue sky effect we treasure so dearly ?

Of course there are many cities in China and India that haven't sighted a blue sky for decades.  But it is of paramount importance to the world tourist industry.   It is hard to envisage water sport in a tropical paradise unless that is happening under an azure blue sky.  Unfortunately, science comes up short on what colour sky SAI would deliver.

So, if this idea is adopted Australia could still mine and export coal for other nations to burn and keep our economy on an even keel.  In fact the world over heating problem would be solved and there would be no need for radical action that might cost jobs or cause those electricity prices to go off scale.

And perhaps there would be another benefit.   If other forms of life exist in outer space the fact that Earth would no longer be that enticing " blue planet " might convince them to drop any invasion plans they had in mind.