Dispersing fine (sub-micron) light-scattering particles into the upper atmosphere could help to combat climate change, suggests a former UK government advisor and chemical engineer.
The technology concept developed in the UK and first revealed in this month’s tce magazine, advocates dispersing benign titanium dioxide particles as used in paint, inks and sunscreens into the stratosphere to deflect the sun’s rays.
In a tce webinar on Peter Davidson, a chartered chemical engineer and a former senior innovation advisor to a number of government departments, called for this geoengineering concept to be researched as an insurance policy to cope with possible catastrophic effects of global warming, if we don’t manage to reduce CO2 emissions fast enough.
Davidson says: “While it’s essential that we work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions now, it would be wise to have a well-researched emergency system in reserve as a Plan B.”
The idea may sound like science fiction; but the concept in fact mimics the earth-cooling effects of large volcanic eruptions, which occur several times a century. For instance, when in 1991 Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines, it caused temperatures to drop by around 0.5oC around the globe for two years, ending most talk of global warming during this period.
Davidson says: “The impact of global warming is predicted to be most severe on the world’s poorest peoples, both because of their lack of resources and because of where they happen to be living. I would hope we could ensure that these peoples have a stake in decision-making and the opportunity to have their voice heard, alongside the richer countries, and appropriate NGO’s (for example environmentalists), as well as other bodies.
“Ideally an independent charitable trust funded by a variety of stakeholders from around the world would research not only the technology but suitable governance, legal and ethical frameworks.”
Image shows: Five tethered balloons would loft 1.5 million tonnes of titanium dioxide particles into the stratosphere each year. The balloon size is far larger than any launched to date to avoid ‘blow over’ from the fierce winds that the tether will experience 10 km above the Earth. The cost of the technology is said to be significantly cheaper than other proposed stratospheric particle injection systems.
More information: www.tcetoday.com