A group of scientists from Harvard and Yale Universities have proposed an innovative method of combating climate change, which is discussed in an article published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. According to CNN, the researchers propose spraying sulfate particles in the lower atmosphere, at an altitude of up to 20 km above the Earth's surface, in order to slow down the process of global warming.
Technical aspects and implementation
The proposed method involves the use of airplanes, high-altitude balloons, or special anti-aircraft guns to spray aerosols. Although there are currently no aircraft specifically designed for these tasks, scientists believe that developing a new tanker aircraft will not present serious technical difficulties and will not require excessive costs.
Economic Assessment
The researchers estimate that the cost of creating an atmospheric aerosol spraying system would be approximately $3.5 billion over the next 15 years, with annual operating costs of $2.25 billion. They emphasize that their study does not make any conclusions about the feasibility of implementing such a system, but only demonstrates its technical feasibility in the foreseeable future.
Potential Risks and Challenges
The authors of the study acknowledge the need for governments to coordinate their efforts to implement this program. They also point to potential risks, such as drought in some regions, which could negatively affect agriculture. In addition, the proposed program does not take into account the consequences of releasing significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
This approach to solving the problem of global warming may cause controversy in the scientific community and government circles, but it opens up new horizons for discussion and further research in the field of climate engineering.
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