A team of the best researchers in the ice world and climate has studied a handful of recently published engineering concepts to protect the glacial caps of the earth and found that none of them are probably working.
Their research evaluated by peers, published on Tuesday, show some of the not tested ideas, such as the dispersion of particles in the atmosphere to reduce sunlight or try to refrete ice sheets with pumped water, could have had involuntary and dangerous consequences.
The various speculative notions that have been floated, mainly via public relations efforts, include things such as the spread of reflective particles on newly formed sea ice to promote its persistence and growth; Building leads or giant ocean curtains with ocean background to divert hot water streams far from the ice shelves; Pump the water from the base of the glaciers to the surface to refrint it, and even intentionally pollute the high atmosphere with particles of reflection based on sulfur or others to reduce the sun.
Research shows that the concept of sunshine based on particles could move precipitation patterns such as seasonal monsoons essential for agriculture in certain regions, and also intensify regional heat, precipitation and extreme drought. And the authors of the new article wrote that some of the mechanical interventions to preserve ice would probably disrupt regional oceanic ecosystems, including the marine food chain, from the tiny Krill to giant whales.
The main author Martin Siegert, glaciologist at the University of Exeter, said that to provide a complete vision of the challenges, the new article included 40 authors with expertise in fields such as oceanography, marine biology, glaciology and atmospheric sciences.
The article thwarts a promotional geo-engineer account with scientific evidence showing the difficulties and the involuntary consequences of some of the ambitious companies, he said. Most geoengineering ideas are at best climate dressings. They only deal with symptoms, he added, but does not attack the deep cause of the problem: gas emissions under the house.
