[extropy-chat] nuclear winter's back

[Anders Sandberg]

Emlyn wrote:
> I really love that idea. Anyone got an idea on numbers?
>
> Related... instead of global nuclear winter, could we pollute with
> something a lot more opaque than current fossil fuels, and reduce the
> amount of energy getting through to the planet surface? Modify the
> greenhouse gas emmisions so they act like dark sunglasses?

As Eugene pointed out, sulphur oxide and sulphate particles do a good job.
See the papers:

P. J. Crutzen, Albedo enhancement by stratospheric sulfur injections: a
contribution to resolve a policy dilemma, Climatic Change (2006) 77:
211–219
http://www.deas.harvard.edu/climate/pdf/2006/Crutzen2006.pdf

Vaishali Naik, Donald J. Wuebbles, Evan H. DeLuci and Jonathan A. Foley,
Influence of Geoengineered Climate on the Terrestrial Biosphere,
Environmental Management, 32:3 / September, 2003
http://www.springerlink.com/content/nffpj86jp0kfyfle/

It is my prediction that within this century we are going to see
unilateral climate improvements by one or more nations if they feel
themselves threatened enough.

-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University