Darkening the Sun Cannot Prevent Melting Ice Alone
Published: Friday, Aug 11th 2023, 15:00
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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Artificial dimming of the sun is highly risky and would not be enough to prevent the melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. To avoid a long-term collapse of the ice sheet, the most effective way is to rapidly decarbonise. If greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to net zero without delay, the chances of a long-term stable ice sheet are greatest. Geoengineering is a possible solution to halt climate change. It involves a fleet of high-flying aircraft releasing millions of tons of aerosols into the stratosphere to artificially darken the sun. This technical intervention into the climate would have to be maintained without interruption for centuries. If the intervention is stopped while greenhouse gas concentrations remain high, it would have drastic consequences, such as shifting monsoon regimes and changing ocean and atmospheric circulation. According to the Bern researchers, solar radiation management (SRM) could be an effective tool to slow down or even prevent the collapse of the ice sheet in a medium emissions scenario. It would work best if it is implemented early and combined with ambitious climate protection measures.nnnnnnnn
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