There seems to be no limit to the insanity of progressive ideas proposed to stop climate change through a science known as geoengineering. And each idea is more laughable than the one before.
Geoengineering, or climate engineering, involves large-scale actions to tackle climate change by directly altering Earth’s natural systems like oceans, soils, and atmosphere. One approach focuses on removing carbon dioxide from the air to reduce the heat trapped in our atmosphere. We face this form of climate engineering through mandates regarding the cars we drive, the appliances we are permitted to own, and even the production of the food we eat.
Another method, solar geoengineering, aims to reflect sunlight away from Earth to lower temperatures. Ideas include space-based sun shields or dispersing particles in the air to change how clouds reflect light. This may seem like a new concept, but discussions about geoengineering date back to the 1960s.
For decades, we have been told that aerosols contribute to climate change by destroying the ozone layer. Now, climate change researchers are investigating the potential use of stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI, to cool the planet. The idea is to use “global dimming” and increased sunlight reflection to cool the globe, and these aerosols would be deployed by high-altitude balloons. While progressives are naturally filled with hot air, the logistics of deploying the dizzying number of necessary balloons are staggering. One alternative would be sending fleets of fuel-gobbling aircraft to battle climate change.
It’s just one ridiculous idea that progressives are looking at to stop the end of the world.
Progressive scientists worry that these aerosols would address “only the symptoms” of global warming, meaning that fossil fuel would still be on the hit list for a “comprehensive” solution. Scientists also point out that, obviously, it’s impossible to predict the adverse outcomes of the strategy.
But fear not. There are plenty more solutions, no matter how bizarre or improbable.
Physicist Steven Desch and an Arizona State University team have proposed deploying wind-powered pumps near melting glaciers. These pumps would distribute seawater onto the icy surface, promoting additional freezing and, they hope, thickening the ice caps. By pumping 4.3 feet of water onto the surface, the team estimates that the ice could become thicker by just over three feet. This thicker ice would offer greater resilience, potentially preventing complete Arctic sea ice loss during summer.
However, the proposal’s scale is immense, requiring approximately 100 million wind-powered pumps to cover the Arctic. Each pump would have wind-powered turbine blades around 19 feet in diameter alongside a buoy containing an equivalent steel weight. How’s that for natural beauty?
But again, there is a problem or two. Experts caution that the pumped water could drain to the glacier beds, lubricating them and increasing the rate at which they slide into the ocean. The initiative comes with a hefty price tag of tens of billions of dollars and requires global cooperation.
Instead of relying on atmospheric seeding or pumping sea water onto glaciers, some glaciologists propose addressing the issue at its origin. Their solution involves constructing massive walls to shield the ocean-facing edges of glaciers. These glacier barrier walls would extend outward and float atop the waves, separating the glaciers from the warm water.
The dimensions of these protective walls would vary based on the specific glacier. For instance, a smaller glacier like Jakobshavn in western Greenland could be shielded by a 328-foot-high wall extending approximately 3 miles. In contrast, the significantly larger Thwaites glacier might necessitate a 980-foot-high barrier spanning 30 miles or more.
Since progressives have often assured us that walls don’t work, is there another solution?
Researchers propose a series of tunnels drilled through the glaciers, with cold saltwater pumped through them to eliminate “frictional heat.” Scientists point out that glaciers lose ice not only at the edges where they meet the water but also from underneath. As glaciers move, their undersides scrape against the rocky bedrock, generating heat and causing some ice to melt. The problem worsens due to warmer air temperatures, leading to additional melting and increased subglacial water volume. Unfortunately, experts warn, this excess water accelerates glaciers toward the sea faster than they can be replenished naturally.
It all sounds like science fiction, but if climate change activists get their way, it will be “science reality.” Money appears to be no object as progressives struggle to produce increasingly bizarre ideas to stop the naturally occurring process of cyclical climate change.
Don’t be surprised if you look up one day and see a global parasol blocking the sun. There is no cause for alarm; progressives are just saving the world.