A very old idea to face the disastrous foretold
effects of climate change is to release a compound into the stratosphere of the
Earth that would reduce the energy of sun reaching to Earth by reflecting it
into space. Just last week, a new study projected that a sunlight-dimming
system could cost as little as $2 billion dollars per year.
Now, in a first-of-its-kind experimentation,
scientists from Harvard are in process of releasing calcium carbonate into the
stratosphere in 2019. A trial on a very small-scale will be performed to
provide vital data about the possible risks and rewards of a larger-scale
geoengineering effort.
According
to Nature, the Harvard experiment will be executed at a very
small scale. The scientists will send a control able balloon up into
the stratosphere of Earth, where it’ll releasenearly 100 grams of
calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is a very active component in
antacids. It is an appealing contender for geoengineering efforts
because simulations studied so far show that it can exist in
the air for years as it reflects sunlight.
After discharging the calcium carbonate, the
balloon will use a laser imaging system to observe how the particles
scatter — data the scientists can use to understand how greater
quantities of the substance might perform.
Critics are already saying that geoengineering
efforts are Band-Aid solutions that hide the indications of climate change
instead of the cause: global carbon emissions. Jim Thomas, the co-executive
director of an environmental advocacy organization called the ETC Group, told
Nature that he fears the Harvard project could push the concept of
geoengineering into the mainstream.
But advocates say that anything that could buy
some extra time in the face of looming climate catastrophe is worth exploring.
“I’m studying a chemical substance,” Harvard researcher Zhen Dai told Nature. “It’s not like it’s a nuclear bomb.”
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