An ancient global warming episode drastically changed the planet. Life on Earth needed 200,000 years to recover. What we’re headed for in the next century could be even bigger.
One proposed fix for the planet’s climate problems could create more problems than it solves
When it comes to climate change, a quick fix won’t do. Science published a paper Friday from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) which concludes that a proposed plan to inject the atmosphere with sulfate particles in order to cool the planet would actually have dire consequences.
According to the NCAR study, this geo-engineering strategy could lead to the destruction of at least one-quarter, and potentially three-quarters, of the ozone layer above the Arctic Ocean, and could delay the expected recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole by 30 to 70 years. “Our research indicates that trying to artificially cool off the planet could have perilous side effects,” says NCAR’s Simone Tilmes. “While climate change is a major threat, more research is required before society attempts global geo-engineering solutions.”
Yes, but let’s not stop the good ideas from flooding in. Here are some other tech-based schemes to save the planet.
This study marks the second time the ozone layer has factored in to recent climate change research—last week, we reported on a joint NASA/NOAA/University of Colorado study linking the regeneration of ozone with increased warming in the Antarctic.
[Via Green Tech Blog]
Where U.S. carbon dioxide emissions come from…and where they go.
A new system for mapping carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. will help regulators figure out exactly where these emissions are coming from and how best to reduce them. Among human-produced gases that contribute to climate change, carbon dioxide is public enemy number one.
A group of researchers at Purdue University, led by atmospheric scientist Kevin Gurney, created the interactive mapping system. Called Vulcan, the system tracks the hourly output of carbon dioxide—emitted when fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline are burned—from factories, power plants and other sources across the country. Vulcan shows carbon dioxide emissions at a scale that is 100 times more detailed than previous maps.
Vulcan has already revealed that the southeastern U.S. is a much more important source of emissions than previously realized. Also, the maps reveal that much of the carbon dioxide gas emitted into the atmosphere gets blown toward the north Atlantic.
Animated versions of the map [see video below] show how emissions fluctuate from day to night, and from summer to winter. For example, scientists have discovered that some regions experience huge releases of carbon dioxide in the late winter. The Vulcan data is available for anyone to download. The researchers are also working on a mapping system called the Hestia Project, which will quantify carbon dioxide emissions around the planet.
