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Solar shade

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	Solar shade
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	Topics Solar shade Topic Home Use of solar shades is a proposed approach to the mitigation of global warmingMitigation of global warming Mitigation of global warming involves taking actions aimed at reducing the extent or likelihood of global warming.... through planetary engineeringPlanetary engineering Planetary engineering is the application of technology for the purpose of influencing the global properties of a planet.... . By intentionally changing the Earth's albedoAlbedo Albedo is a ratio of scattered to incident electromagnetic radiation power, most commonly light.... , or reflectivity, scientists propose that we could reflect more heat back out into space, or intercept sunlight before it reaches the Earth through a literal shade built in space. A 0.5% albedo increase would roughly halve the effect of CO₂ doubling. History As early as 1974, Russian expert Mikhail Budyko suggested that if global warming became a problem, we could cool down the planet by burning sulfur in the stratosphere, which would create a haze. Paul Crutzen suggests that this would cost 25 to 50 billion dollars per year. It would, however, increase the environmental problem of acid rainAcid rain Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere, undergo chemical transformations ... . Methods Methods which have been proposed include: Releasing dust, sulfate particles, or reflecting micro-balloons into the stratosphere. This proposal, not unlike the others, carries with it considerable risks, including increased drought. Enhancing low-level clouds. Creating a Saturn-like ring of small particles. Putting a very large diffraction gratingDiffraction grating In optics, a diffraction grating is a reflecting or transparent element, whose optical properties are periodically modulated... (thin wire mesh) or lensLens (optics) A lens is a device that causes light to either converge and concentrate or to diverge, usually formed from a piece of shaped... in space, perhaps at the L1Lagrangian point Overview The Lagrangian points ; also Lagrange point, L-point, or libration point), are the five positions in inter... point between the Earth and the Sun. Space sunshade, numerous reflective glass discs in space. The cooling effect that volcanic eruptionsFacts About Volcano A volcano is a geological landform on the surface of the Earth where magma from the planet's interior erupts to the surfac... often have on the climate due to ash particles in the upper atmosphere can be seen as an analogy of how these methods might work. A preliminary study by Edward Teller and others in 2002 presented the pros and cons of various relatively "low-tech" proposals to mitigate global warming through scattering/reflecting sunlight away from the Earth via insertion of various materials in the upper stratosphere, low earth orbit, and L1 locations. Dispersive solutions Several authors have proposed dispersing light before it reaches the Earth by putting a very large diffraction grating or lens in space, perhaps at the L1Lagrangian point The Lagrangian points ; also Lagrange point, L-point, or libration point), are the five positions in inter... point between the Earth and the Sun. This plan was proposed in 1989 by J. T. Early,, and in 1997 by Edward TellerEdward Teller Edward Teller was a Hungarian-born American nuclear physicist, known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb."... , Lowell Wood, and Roderick Hyde. In 2004, physicist and science fiction author Gregory BenfordGregory Benford Summary Gregory Benford is a science fiction author and physicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy ... calculated that a concave rotating Fresnel lensFresnel lens A Fresnel lens is a type of lens invented by Augustin-Jean Fresnel .... 1000 kilometreKilometre A kilometre is a unit of length that is equal to 1,000 metres, the current International System of Units base unit of leng... s across, yet only a few millimeters thick, floating in space at the L1 point, would reduce the solar energy reaching the Earth by approximately 0.5% to 1%. He estimated that this would cost around US$United States dollar For details of current paper money and coins, see Federal Reserve Note and United States coinage.... 10 billion1000000000 (number) One thousand million is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.... up front, and another $10 billion in supportive cost during its lifespan. Side-effects include that, if this lens were built and global warming were avoided, there would be less incentive to reduce greenhouse gases, and humans might continue to produce too much carbon dioxide until it caused some other environmental catastrophe, such as a chemical change in ocean water that could be disastrous to ocean lifeMarine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean.... . See also Microwave power External links , New ScientistNew Scientist *New Scientist* is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a ge...