A solution to Climate Change? Reality or Fiction?
It sounds like the stuff of science fiction but some experts think it may be the answer
to saving Earth from climate catastrophe.
Scientists in the US say dust launched from the moon could be a good way of
blocking sunlight and alleviating global warming.
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According to their new study, moon dust would intercept a proportion of sunlight before it reaches our planet, acting as a ‘temporary sunshade’. Once the dust dissipates and floats away after a few days, more would be launched from the moon, allowing constant relief from the sun’s light and heat.
How exactly the dust would be launched from the moon?
How exactly the dust would be launched from the moon is yet to be determined – although it could potentially be flung up using some kind of catapult.
Also Read: Our Sun Is Wearing Away
The authors say launching dust from the moon instead could be a cheap and effective way to shade the Earth. Therefore, an as-yet undetermined launch method – possibly a catapult or a ‘mass driver’ – could send the dust into space.
Therefore, the moon dust would intercept a proportion of sunlight before it reaches our planet,
acting as a ‘temporary sunshade’.
Read: COP 26: Climate change and Food Security-Why TIME to Act is Now!
The percentage of the sunlight the Earth receives that’s being blocked would be about 2 per cent. Once the dust dissipates and floats away after a few days, more would be launched from the moon, allowing relief from sunlight and heat.
Finally, as humanity emits more and more greenhouse gases, Earth’s atmosphere traps more and more of the sun’s energy and steadily increases the planet’s temperature. With the presence of dust from moon, a blanket like covering will shield the planet from extreme temperatures that causes global warming.
When will this technology be adopted? Is this another ‘sci-fi episode’ in a Hollywood movie with no scientific impact?
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