Greenhouse gases are necessary to keep the organisms and plants on the earth sufficiently warm, but due to their excessive presence, the temperature is increasing more than normal. Akshit Joshi is telling how serious its consequences can be.
Image Credit source: PTI
climate change crisis is increasing continuously. Governments all over the world are realizing this now and have started believing that it has become very important to stop the rising global temperature and carbon emissions. The use of renewable energy, the use of electric vehicles and similar alternatives as options to reduce emissions are small and temporary solutions to a larger problem.
New research informs us of ways in which action can be taken to combat global warming and improve the Earth’s climate system. these methods collectively ‘geoengineering’ is called.
What is geoengineering, how does it work?
Average global temperatures are rising much faster today than at any other time in two million years. These are causing extreme droughts, heat waves, increasing fire incidents and changing weather patterns resulting in severe cyclonic storms and unseasonal rains.
All this is happening because of human activity. The main sources of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases we are using to generate energy are coal, oil and natural gas made from fossil fuels.
When the Sun’s light hits the Earth’s atmosphere, about 30 percent of it is reflected back into space. 70 percent of this gets included in the energy system of the climate. The Earth sends some part of this heat back into space through radiation, but the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere prevent it from going into space outside the Earth’s gravitational force.
importance of greenhouse gases
Greenhouse gases are necessary to keep the animals and plants on the earth warm enough, but their excessive presence is increasing the temperature much above the normal limit. This has serious consequences in the long term and we are also seeing it at present. are. Many new methods are used to keep the temperature low, which we know as geoengineering.
Such steps can be taken in many ways from solar engineering to keeping the earth cool. Firstly, the amount of sunlight reaching the earth is reduced. Second, they have to be controlled in the oceans, which are a major reservoir of emitted carbon and a major source of climate regulation.
Necessary steps regarding geoengineering have not been taken yet. Nevertheless, there is hope that the climate crisis can be combated by using these methods in the long run. In such a situation, there is a need to look at them seriously.
Solar Geoengineering
The greenhouse effect increases the amount of sunlight absorbed by the Earth, resulting in the Earth warming up. To combat this, first of all, several methods are adopted to keep the earth cool by reducing the amount of sunlight directly reaching the earth. These methods are collectively called solar geoengineering.
However, it is not a substitute for reducing carbon emissions. It is a temporary measure to limit global warming by removing carbon dioxide, while reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.
The best of these methods involve spraying tiny particles called sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight. These tiny particles are naturally present in the dust of volcanoes and deserts. These are also produced by burning fossil fuels and actually add to the global warming caused by greenhouse gases.
What are its main advantages?
Another method for cooling the Earth involves shining clouds over the oceans. Dark objects generally absorb light while bright objects reflect it. Most of the light is reflected back into space before it can be absorbed by bright clouds forming over the oceans.
Aerosol is sprayed in the ocean water above the sea to give a layer of brightness to the clouds, due to which small drops of water are formed around it. The smaller the aerosols, the more small droplets stick to them. This results in the formation of bright and light clouds in the end.
engineering of the oceans
Working on the ocean is one of the best options we have to stop climate change. Geoengineering methods in the ocean also reduce the increasing amount of acid in the sea and also global warming.
This includes growing phytoplankton ie microscopic vegetation in the sea. These green microscopic plants perform photosynthesis and give back oxygen by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If they are managed properly, then it can be used to absorb the excessive carbon present in the atmosphere. This carbon is produced due to fossil fuels and industrial activities. It can also be reduced by the use of renewable energy.
Phytoplankton, which can be seen only with a microscope, accounts for about 50 percent of the world’s photosynthesis. Just as we put fertilizers in the gardens to help the plants grow faster, similarly we should use different types of fertilizers in the oceans to help the phytoplankton grow faster. They have the ability to absorb maximum carbon from the atmosphere.
very expensive and risky
However, this method does not always bring the desired results. Sometimes there is a big loss due to them. If there is an excess of algae (a type of vegetation seen with a microscope) in phytoplankton, then they draw the oxygen present in the sea water. Lack of oxygen in sea water can harm the life of marine animals. In such a situation, these methods should be used only after taking complete information about their benefits and disadvantages.
But this method is very expensive, does not work as well and takes more time to use as compared to aerosol methods.
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