(136c) GeoEngineering - How and How Much | AIChE

(136c) GeoEngineering - How and How Much

Authors 

Ring, T. - Presenter, University of Utah


GeoEngineering has been suggested as a way to mitigate the effects global warming due to the CO2 buildup in the atmosphere caused by the combustion of fossil fuels.  One avenue available for global warming mitigation is the scattering of light back into space from the upper atmosphere.  This work looks at the engineering of aerosol particles that can be dispersed into the upper atmosphere, that resist settling out and that have a large scattering efficiency; answering the questions: 1) What is the particle loading required to mitigate the effects of the buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere?, 2) How would these particles be loaded into the upper atmosphere? and 3) What would this all cost?  The costs to mitigate the effects of the last 10 years of global warming are compared to the cost to move a city of 1 million people that might be displaced by global warming induced raises in sea level or by desertification.