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Dim the Sun to limit global warming, say scientists

Sun Dimming - Level 4

Scientists have a new idea to save Earth from global warming. Geo-engineers believe that spraying "sun-dimming" chemicals high above the Earth could slow down global warming. They say this would be "remarkably inexpensive," costing about $2.25 billion. The technique is called stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). It would need huge, high-powered hoses to spray chemicals into the stratosphere. This would be a barrier against sunlight.

The scientists said their idea is still in the planning stages. They said: "We simply show that a hypothetical deployment program, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed be technically possible." Some scientists think the idea is pie in the sky. They say special planes would need to make 4,000 missions a year across the globe's airspace. Over 100 governments would need to agree to this. It could increase droughts and extreme weather.

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Sun Dimming - Level 5

Scientists have a revolutionary idea to save Earth from global warming. Geo-engineers from Harvard University believe that spraying "sun-dimming" chemicals high above the Earth could slow down global warming. They say this would be "remarkably inexpensive," costing about $2.25 billion a year over 15 years. The technique is called stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). It is still yet to be proven. It would involve using huge hoses or high-powered cannons to spray chemicals into the stratosphere. This would be a reflective barrier against sunlight.

The scientists admitted that their idea is still in the planning stages. They said: "We make no judgment about the desirability of SAI. We simply show that a hypothetical deployment program, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed be technically possible." Not all scientists think the idea is a good one. Some think it is pie in the sky. They say 100 specially-designed planes would need to make 4,000 missions a year, crossing most of the globe's airspace. Over 100 governments would need to agree to this. There are concerns it could increase droughts and extreme weather.

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Sun Dimming - Level 6

Scientists have come up with a revolutionary new idea to save planet Earth from global warming. Geo-engineers from Harvard University believe that spraying "sun-dimming" chemicals into the stratosphere high above the Earth could slow down global warming. They also say their technique would be "remarkably inexpensive," costing in the region of $2.25 billion a year over a 15-year period. The technique is known as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI). It is still in its infancy and is yet to be proven. It would involve the use of gigantic hoses or high-powered chemical cannons to spray chemicals into the stratosphere to act as a reflective barrier against sunlight and harmful UV rays.

The scientists have admitted that their idea is currently still in the planning stages. They said: "We make no judgment about the desirability of SAI. We simply show that a hypothetical deployment program commencing 15 years hence, while both highly uncertain and ambitious, would indeed be technically possible from an engineering perspective." Not all scientists think the idea is a good one. Some think it is somewhat pie in the sky. They say it would require a fleet of 100 specially-designed planes to make 4,000 missions a year, crossing most of the globe's airspace. This would require permission from over 100 governments. There are also concerns it could increase droughts and extreme weather.

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson