a new idea

In fact, the issue is not whether the idea is feasible or good in itself. Rather, its value lies in seriously weighing all our options at a time when we are facing an irreversible environmental disaster. A paper containing a detailed review of the “diamond” approach to combating warming has been published in Geophysical Research Letters.

The whole point is to blast around five million tonnes of diamond dust into the atmosphere every year to return our planet to pre-industrial levels, where ecosystems were stable and unaffected by climate change.

The problem is that it will take a long time 45 years of continuous “injections” and will cost almost 200 trillion dollars. So even if we agree to put aside fears about solar geoengineering, we will still have to decide what is more valuable to us: planet survival or money.

If we have already mentioned geoengineering, it is worth explaining that most scientists are very afraid of this method. It has not been studied, it has never been used, and its consequences are so unpredictable that they cannot be simulated even on the most powerful supercomputers in the world. While some scientists are lobbying for experiments in this area, others fear that spraying aerosol or chalk would cause a cyclic self-sustaining cooling process that would, in turn, freeze everything around.

It’s worth noting here that sulfur dioxide is emitted by volcanoes, so we actually have some clues as to what it might be (yes, cooling, as shown in the supervolcano example of the distant past), but modern eruptions occur many times over the years to produce fewer aerosols than scientists recommend spewing out. not just do it once. So it’s still not enough evidence.

Why diamonds?

Although sulfur is a much cheaper option next to other candidate aerosols, especially diamond dust, in this new study the scientists ran an interesting simulation of the behavior of all the materials proposed so far and showed why theirs is the best option.

In total, the 3D simulations tested six items; how they coagulate (stick together) and how long they remain in the atmosphere. apparently Strong coagulation causes heat to be trapped in clots rather than being reflected into space. The particles need to stay separate from each other so that the whole plan doesn’t backfire. Additionally, aerosols need to remain in the upper atmosphere long enough for the whole plan to work.

The problem is that such materials chalk and sulfur stick together. But diamonds are not like that. Sulfur was the second worst candidate and was also prone to acid rain. Therefore, the study recommends caution as the pulverized gemstones continue to float freely in the sky, remain there for a long time, and do not bind to other chemical elements.

Not everything is that simple

despite everything sulfur currently remains the most attractive option for scientistsIt’s “virtually free,” says Cornell University engineer Douglas McMartin, whose work was cited in the study.

He also notes that we can study the effects of sulfur spewing from volcanic eruptions on a large scale, and that because it is a gas, it is easier to disperse by planes than a heavy load of diamonds.

Judging by the recent debates and petitions against solar geoengineering, we will continue to slowly fry our own planet without being able to do anything truly effective to limit warming. And such ideas will remain only on the pages of scientific journals.