Giant balloon proposed to combat global warming
SEP 01, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025550
Daily Mail : To mitigate climate change, scientists in the UK have proposed a method of geoengineering that uses a giant helium balloon and a large hose to mimic the cooling effect of an erupting volcano. The balloon would be tethered some 22 km above Earth by the hose, through which tons of chemical particles could be pumped into the stratosphere. Those droplets of sulfates and aerosol particles would reflect the Sun’s energy back into space and prevent it from heating Earth. Called Spice, for stratospheric particle injection for climate engineering, the project is backed by the Royal Society and a £1.6 million (about $2.6 million) government grant. However, critics point out that weather is very complex and any attempt to manipulate it could have unforeseen consequences.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
