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