It's getting hotter around the world, and while most plans to use geoengineering to alther the weather have been hypothetical at best, a pair of Harvard engineers have announced their intentions to spray thousands of particles into the sky to block the sun's rays in the coming year.
The Harvard pair plan to launch a balloon up to 80,000 feet over Fort Summer, New Mexico, before letting out tons of kilograms of sulphate aerosols into the sky. The idea is that the particles will reflect the sunlight back into space decreasing the temperature of Earth.
It's actually using a theory to replicate the effects of volcanoes that spew out sulphates into the atmosphere, thus blocking out the sun's rays. Nobody's ever done it before. And how will it have any other effect on the environment?
David Keith, one of the scientists, explained to the Guardian:
"The objective is not to alter the climate, but simply to probe the processes at a micro scale. The direct risk is very small."
He probably doesn't know just how much of a risk there really is. There are scientists who believe that the experiment could have unpredictable and negative effects. Keith and his partner James Anderson don't seem to be bothered and are keen to push forward with the project and plan to put it into action within the next one year. Hopefully, it'll work. With no negative side effects.
[The Guardian]
