Albedo modification is a completely valid response to a problem partly caused by albedo decline.
That said, you should do both.
27
Pirky - 1.8yr
This doesn't solve all the problems caused by high CO2 levels.
One example is the acidification of the oceans. Higher CO2 concentrations in the air leads to the oceans absorbing more of it, which then gets turned into carbonic acid, which is not fun for marine life.
Reflecting light is not going to solve that.
8
capital - 1.8yr
What WOULD we do if the bar is “solves everything with one action/solution”?
5
Pirky - 1.8yr
I'm not necessarily looking for a magic bullet solution. It's more this is not really a solution at all. All it is, is just treating a symptom. And rather poorly at that.
Also, even if we did move forward with this, how are we going to increase the reflectivity? And where? The only viable option is to paint roofs white since it can significantly reduce cooling costs in the summer. But outside of that, there's no realistic option.
There is also the fact that trying to reflect the light back into space means reflecting it through the atmosphere a second time, giving it a second opportunity to heat it even further.
And a giant space mirror is not practical either. The resources that would go towards that could have easily gone towards more effective solutions on the ground.
Significantly more effective solutions would be to reduce our reliance on cars in western countries (simply switching to EV's is not enough); switch to greener power sources like wind, solar, and nuclear; redesigning our products to last longer and to be more repairable; etc.
If you want something a bit more direct to donate to and support, you could check out environmental programs. I, myself, donate to Mossy Earth. They focus on rewilding and re-establishing ecosystems throughout the world. They also have a Youtube channel where they post about their projects along with updates. If Mossy Earth isn't your thing, I know there are many other groups out there with like-minded goals. Find those groups and support/join them if you can.
5
acockworkorange - 1.8yr
I see you haven't watched Highlander III (or was it II?).
4
DragonTypeWyvern @literature.cafe - 1.8yr
Well, Snowpiercer did it for sure. I'm not sure Highlander 2 counts, but it did predict a future where everyone is miserable even though the world was technically saved from climate collapse so it's got that going for it!
4
pearable @lemmy.ml - 1.8yr
The article describes several strategies to reduce albedo and each one has significant knockdown effects that could cause significant ecological problems beyond just a warning climate.
1
ExfilBravo @lemmy.world - 1.8yr
We just need to use the Futurama method. Make a huge ice block and drop it in the ocean. Forever.
fossilesque in geography
Not such a bright idea: Cooling the Earth by reflecting sunlight back to space is a dangerous distraction
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-bright-idea-cooling-earth-sunlight.html?
Albedo modification is a completely valid response to a problem partly caused by albedo decline.
That said, you should do both.
This doesn't solve all the problems caused by high CO2 levels.
One example is the acidification of the oceans. Higher CO2 concentrations in the air leads to the oceans absorbing more of it, which then gets turned into carbonic acid, which is not fun for marine life.
Reflecting light is not going to solve that.
What WOULD we do if the bar is “solves everything with one action/solution”?
I'm not necessarily looking for a magic bullet solution. It's more this is not really a solution at all. All it is, is just treating a symptom. And rather poorly at that.
Also, even if we did move forward with this, how are we going to increase the reflectivity? And where? The only viable option is to paint roofs white since it can significantly reduce cooling costs in the summer. But outside of that, there's no realistic option.
There is also the fact that trying to reflect the light back into space means reflecting it through the atmosphere a second time, giving it a second opportunity to heat it even further.
And a giant space mirror is not practical either. The resources that would go towards that could have easily gone towards more effective solutions on the ground.
Significantly more effective solutions would be to reduce our reliance on cars in western countries (simply switching to EV's is not enough); switch to greener power sources like wind, solar, and nuclear; redesigning our products to last longer and to be more repairable; etc.
If you want something a bit more direct to donate to and support, you could check out environmental programs. I, myself, donate to Mossy Earth. They focus on rewilding and re-establishing ecosystems throughout the world. They also have a Youtube channel where they post about their projects along with updates. If Mossy Earth isn't your thing, I know there are many other groups out there with like-minded goals. Find those groups and support/join them if you can.
I see you haven't watched Highlander III (or was it II?).
Well, Snowpiercer did it for sure. I'm not sure Highlander 2 counts, but it did predict a future where everyone is miserable even though the world was technically saved from climate collapse so it's got that going for it!
The article describes several strategies to reduce albedo and each one has significant knockdown effects that could cause significant ecological problems beyond just a warning climate.
We just need to use the Futurama method. Make a huge ice block and drop it in the ocean. Forever.