BUBBLICIOUS

Scientists Consider Funky Plans to Avert Climate Change

Plans to slow global warming once dismissed as, well, loopy need to
be taken seriously, concluded scientists at a conference on climate
change in Cambridge, U.K. The proposed schemes can be divided into
two families -- they aim either to capture greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide to prevent their buildup in the atmosphere, or to
shield the planet from solar radiation. The first category includes
plans to sprinkle the oceans with iron to absorb CO2 or bury
compressed CO2 underground. The second category -- which found more
favor with scientists -- includes more fanciful proposals such as
using thousands of bubble-making machines to create bigger, more
reflective clouds or (we kid you not) sending billions of tiny silver
balloons into the atmosphere to reflect the sun's light. When an
alien civilization reconstructs the events that led to humanity's
demise, we here at Grist hope that our balloon-bedecked planet
convinces them that, however short-sighted, we had a good sense of
humor.

straight to the source: The Boston Globe, Fred Pearce, 20 Jan 2004