Page 38 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 25
P. 38
The Environment
Arctic) to whiten the surface,
thereby increasing the albedo
(reflectivity). Depending
on the material used, these
practices can have chemical
polluting effects on the sea.
These activities could also
have destructive impacts on
the subsistence life-ways of
Indigenous communities in
the Arctic. In addition to not
addressing the real causes of
Solar Radiation Management (SRM)
climate disruption, dumping
these materials into the oceans
animal health, while negatively done. SRM does not reduce and other bodies of water could
impacting fisheries. greenhouse gas levels, but disrupt the light that is needed
Solar Radiation Management temporarily masks the effect. for ocean life and may reduce
(SRM) oxygen to the upper layers of
Here is a quick look at some of the ocean, negatively affecting
SRM techniques are attempts the SRM proposals: biodiversity.
to reflect sunlight back into Stratospheric Aerosol
space. There are a range of Injection (SAI) Marine Cloud Brightening
proposals, including installing (MCB)
banks of mirrors in Earth’s SAI is based on shooting
orbit; injecting sulfates into the particles of sulfur dioxide, In this technique, clouds would
stratosphere; and modifying or other materials, into the be pumped full of salt-water or
clouds, plants or ice to make stratosphere using fossil fuel- bacteria to increase the volume
them reflect sunlight away powered jet planes or other of water vapor, which would
from the Earth. Some of these means, to mimic the effects of a make them whiter so they reflect
concepts are gaining traction volcanic eruption. more of the sun’s radiation
in corporate-funded climate away from the oceans and land.
conversations and are getting Microbubbles, Microbeads, This could result in decreased
close to becoming real-world Sea Foam & other Albedo- precipitation in some parts of
experiments. Once SRM has Altering Materials the world (the Amazon) and
begun, stopping it could lead increased land run-off in other
to termination shock, which Proponents of this approach parts of the world (the tropics).
would cause temperatures to want to spread bubbles, beads, Overall rainfall is likely to
rise rapidly to even higher or foam over water bodies be reduced, which forces the
levels than if nothing had been and/or ice (such as in the question: Who decides who will
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