CFR- Bottom line

It is probably safe to assume that the direct monetary cost of geoenginering would be at

least 100 times less than the cost of a full program of GHG abatement…

…and perhaps much cheaper than that

Because it is relatively cheap, a nation that had not done much abatement, but started climate impacts, might be tempted to unilaterally engage in albedo-modifying geoengineering.

Unilateral Geoengineering

A few basic ideas about the science to start our discussions

2008 May 05

M. Granger Morgan

Department of

Engineering and Public Policy

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

tel: 412-268-2672

e-mail: granger.morgan@andrew.

Four examples of how the earth’s albedo might be increased:

 

1. Add small reflecting particles in the stratosphere.

2. Add more clouds in the lower part of the atmosphere.

3. Place various kinds of reflecting objects or diffractiongratings in space either near the earth or at a stable

location between the earth and the sun.

4. Change large portions of the planet’s land cover from things that are dark and absorbing, such as trees, to things that are light and reflecting, such as open snow-cover or grasses.

A single nation could do these within it’s national boundaries

This is not hard to do,nor all that expensive.

Sources: NASA; Boeing; www.carlstumpf.com

David Keith has suggested that it should be possible to create microscopic reflecting composite particles that would be selforienting and self-levitating, and thus might  have to be replaced very frequently.

Gun for shooting composites into the air