Last Barrier to Climate Collapse

Hagakure_Leofman · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 3:52 am Post subject: Last Barrier to Climate Collapse

I read some disturbing news today. Sad

Tim Flannery, who wrote the compelling book The Weather Makers : The History and Future Impact of Climate Change, has suggested humanity should pump sulphur into the earth's atmosphere to avert total climate collapse. Professor Tim Fannery was named Australian of the Year last year for his contributions to the research of climate change.

He now says that we have past the point at which emissions reduction will save us, and that we have to start actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and pump sulphur into the atmosphere, which would effectively change the color of the sky.

electric_future

What a load of rubbish. First of all, sulphur is not a gas, it is a solid; and presuming he meant sulphur dioxide, this is already being spewed into the atmosphere in vast amounts already by coal power stations all over the world with horrendous side effects of acid rain and heavy metal pollution. (See- Global Dimming)

This guy is just pushing his book, getting his name in the media, and getting the 21 year old hippy girls no doubt. His predictions are just doom-mongering not based in science or reality. And this is supposed to be a leading researcher in climate change? More like a cult leader.

Hagakure_Leofman

It's not an original idea on his part. Others have suggested the same.

EnergyUnlimited · Fusion Joined: May 15, 2006 Posts: 3306

Mt Pinatubo ejected ~30 mln tons of sulfur on the top of garbage total amounting to 10 bln tons into atmosphere and it didn't help much.
Just about 2 years long blip lowering average temperature by 0.3 *C was observed.
It is reasonable ot assume that sulfur contributed to lets say 20-50% of overall dimming effect at the very best.
Other components of volcanic ash surely contributed too

It suggests that lowering temperature by 0.1 deg would require providing annually 15 million tons of sulfur to atmosphere, which is a significant proportion of world annual production.

And what if you want to lower world average temperature by 0.5*C?
You would need perhaps entire world production of sulfur to disperse in atmosphere and keep it going for decades to come.
What about 1*C? Very Happy

So regardless of credentials, peoples proposing such schemes are plain crackheads and electric future is right with his assertions.

Hagakure_Leofman

I think the point of the thread might have been lost somewhere here.

This is my thread issue : If we've gotten to the point that we're entertaining pumping the sky full of sulfur at the level where it would change its actual color, we're screwed.

The point Tim Flannery is making is this : In this century, probably sooner than later as climate change destabilizes the world climate, to the point where our very existence is at risk, we will have to try anything to save ourselves, including such absurd ideas from your so called 'crackheads' EnergyUnlimited.

World 'production' of sulfur is irrelevant to this perspective. In pure unadulterated panic, we'll pump Channel #5 into the atmosphere if that will save us. That's the point he is making.

And, to me, that's crazy s**t.

Hagakure_Leofman

Look at the thread topic : Last Barrier to Climate Collapse.

thylacine · Heavy Crude Joined: Jan 19, 2006 Posts: 121

I thought that Tim Flannery was a serious thinker until I read this hogwash. I hope he's been misquoted.

His scheme's so full of holes it's just laughable that anyone could suggest it. How many thousands of flights would be required to spray the "sulphur gas" about? How many more tonnes of CO2 are put into the upper atmosphere by his scheme? How does he propose that we extract CO2 from the atmosphere? I love his comment that the consequences of his manmade global dimming would be "unknown" i.e. it might actually be a crap idea.

Yes H_L, I think his real message probably is "we're screwed, so screwed we have to come up with extreme solutions to save ourselves". But he doesn't do himself any favours by spouting loopy ideas.

Oh, and isn't a lot of the sulphur produced, a byproduct of oil refining?

EnergyUnlimited · Fusion Joined: May 15, 2006 Posts: 3306

Atlantean_Relic

Well, while we're proposing crazy ideas to stop global warming How about we find ways to prematurely pop a super volcano, that'll give us the tonnage sulfur and ash we need.
_________________
Was a long and dark December
When the banks became cathedrals
And the fog
Became God

Cid_Yama

Water vapor works just as well. Just nuke Antarctica. Sure we'll lose the Maldives, and several other island nations as well as the heavily populated coastlines worldwide. But the water vapor generated would cool the planet a little. --- See how rediculous this all sounds. The most major things we could do would have an insignificant impact on the problem and probably kill most of us faster. Sorry, most of you were born at the end of the world. I know it's totally unfair. You will probably not live a full life and that most of it will be a miserable existence.

In the US, I lay the blames squarely on the gung ho fascist Republicans and their supports. Yes that's right. You were the ones who fought tooth and nail to block any action. Formed think tanks to come up with ways to discredit those who knew what was happening and raise doubt among the uneducated masses. Silenced the scientists who were trying to sound the alarm.

All for Profit and Power. I spit in your face. It's your fault, and even your own children are going to die a horrible death.

I sure hope to hell there is one. Every last one of you needs to face the consequences.
_________________
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. - George Orwell

It riles them to believe that you perceive the webs they weave. - Moody Blues

HEADER_RACK · Intermediate Crude Joined: Feb 15, 2007 Posts: 540

EnergyUnlimited · Fusion Joined: May 15, 2006 Posts: 3306

Hagakure_Leofman

Someone should nominate you for expert status EnergyUnlimited Rolling Eyes

Cabrone

If you are interested in some of the ideas that are being floated around then take a look at 5 Ways To Save The World.

The sulphur suggestion is one of the 5 geo-engineering ideas (I think) that are examined.

dorlomin · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Aug 05, 2007 Posts: 1117

Will it not reduce the amount of light available for photosynthisis?