Could climate modification have a negative impact on the renewable energy industry?
Weather modification has wrongly been labeled a “conspiracy theory” for a long time, but in actual fact, weather modification is a worldwide industry and the first official experiments date as far back as the 1946.
American chemist and meteorologist Vincent J. Schaefer was the first to perform cloud seeding experiments, and since then, seeding has been performed from aircraft, rockets, cannons, and ground generators. Many substances have been used, but solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) and silver iodide have been the most effective; when used in supercooled clouds (composed of water droplets at temperatures below freezing), they form nuclei around which the water droplets evaporate. The resulting water vapour deposits into ice crystals, which build quickly as water droplets attach themselves.
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Geoengineering is a controversial topic but an important question arises: can human intervention in weather truly address today’s environmental challenges?
The BBC recently released an article and podcast exploring the possibility of using weather modification technology to tackle climate change. This debate has woken up many skeptics to this reality and brought this important issue into the spotlight.
In the latest episode of the Under the Weather podcast, Simon King and Clare Nasir interview weather modification expert Professor Jim Fleming to explore whether climate modification might save the planet. Yet, we must ask ourselves, is this a realistic solution or a dangerous overreach?
Historically, weather modification efforts have often proceeded with scant regard for their broader climatic impacts. Professor Fleming notes that “scientists often wanted to push geoengineering limits without realizing how complex the world’s weather and climate systems are.”
During World War II, Winston Churchill’s desperation led to Operation FIDO, where Lord Cherwell proposed burning vast amounts of fuel to clear foggy airfields. This effort, claimed to have shortened the war and saved lives, showcased a rudimentary understanding of weather manipulation’s potential and perils.
Similarly, the U.S. military’s Operation Popeye during the Vietnam War aimed to extend the monsoon season through cloud seeding, hoping to disrupt enemy logistics. These military uses of geoengineering raise ethical and practical questions about the consequences of such interventions.
Contemporary instances of weather control, such as China’s cloud seeding before the 2008 Beijing Olympics and ongoing efforts in the UAE, highlight how geoengineering remains a tool of convenience rather than a considered solution to complex environmental issues.
As we confront global warming, some propose geoengineering as a remedy.
Ideas range from capturing and storing carbon emissions to deploying giant mirrors in space or increasing oceanic plankton to absorb CO2. These suggestions, bordering on science fiction, prompt serious skepticism about their feasibility and risks.
Professor Fleming warns against the precipitous leap from understanding weather patterns to attempting to control them. His inbox brims with far-fetched geoengineering ideas, including one to “move the planet further away from the sun.”
Fleming advocates for an international, intergenerational, and interdisciplinary approach to any geoengineering discussions, cautioning against unilateral actions that could have global repercussions. While climate modification might offer solutions, it could equally herald a new era of environmental upheaval, altering our planet in unforeseen and possibly catastrophic ways.
Bill Gates is funding a research project at Harvard University, known as the Controlled Stratospheric Disturbance Experiment (SCoPEx), which aims to study solar geoengineering. This technology, also known as Solar Radiation Management (SRM), involves seeding the stratosphere with aerosols to reflect sunlight away from the Earth’s surface, potentially offsetting the effects of global warming.
The project, led by Frank Keutsch and David Keith, involves spraying calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dust into the atmosphere to scatter sunlight and cool the planet. While the goal is to understand the effects of this technology, there are concerns about unintended consequences, such as altering stratospheric chemistry or ozone depletion. There are also concers of the types of chemicals being used and many poss
Other Global Dimming SRM Techniques
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI):
Description: This technique involves injecting aerosols, such as sulfur dioxide or other reflective particles, into the stratosphere to reflect a portion of solar radiation back into space.
Mechanism: The particles create a layer that increases the Earth’s albedo (reflectivity), mimicking the cooling effect observed after major volcanic eruptions.
Advantages: Potential to quickly reduce global temperatures.
Risks: Unintended climate effects, potential damage to the ozone layer, and health risks from increased particulate matter.
Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB):
Description: Spraying fine sea salt or other particles into marine clouds to make them more reflective.
Mechanism: The particles act as cloud condensation nuclei, increasing the number of water droplets in clouds and making them whiter and more reflective.
Advantages: Can be localized to specific regions and may have less impact on the stratosphere.
Risks: Potential changes in precipitation patterns, impacts on marine ecosystems, and difficulty in controlling the extent and effects of brightening.
Cirrus Cloud Thinning:
Description: Reducing the thickness of high-altitude cirrus clouds to allow more heat to escape from the Earth’s surface.
Mechanism: Cirrus clouds trap heat in the atmosphere. Thinning these clouds could increase the outgoing longwave radiation, effectively cooling the planet.
Advantages: Targets specific cloud types that contribute to warming rather than reflecting sunlight.
Risks: Complex cloud dynamics and potential unintended consequences on weather patterns and climate.
Potential Health and Environmental Risks
Human Health:
Air Quality: Increased aerosols and particulates could degrade air quality, leading to respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
Toxicity: Some proposed materials for SRM, like sulfur dioxide, can be harmful if inhaled in significant quantities. Some other chemicals used include: Sulfuric Acid (H₂SO₄), Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃), Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃), Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂), Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂) and Barium Titanate (BaTiO₃).
Environmental Impacts:
Ozone Layer: Some SRM methods, especially SAI, could deplete the ozone layer, increasing UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface.
Acid Rain: Increased sulfur dioxide could lead to acid rain, damaging ecosystems and infrastructure.
Ecosystem Disruption: Changes in solar radiation and climate patterns could disrupt ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and species interactions.
Climate and Weather:
Precipitation Changes: SRM could alter precipitation patterns, potentially causing droughts or floods in different regions.
Regional Climate Effects: The impact of SRM could vary by region, leading to unequal effects and potential geopolitical tensions.
How might weather modification affect the renewable energy industry in the UK?
With a push towards increasing the capacity of wind and solar energy throughout the UK, the use of solar dimming technologies and other weather modification practices could proove to be counter productive to the renewable energy industry and may pose many other unforseeen negative impacts on the environment. Blocking the sun would greatly reduce the effectiveness of the solar panels’ ability to harnes the power of sunlight, and the altering of the weather patterns may exacerbate extreme weather events that could damage wind turbines. Many scientist warn these practices are simply “too dangerus” and risk further destabilising an already deeply disturbed climate system.
The final conclusion we must consider; is the solution worse than the problem?
Read the latest issue of the OGV Energy magazine HERE
Published: 30-07-2024
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