New Delhi: It has been announced by the Government of India that there is going to be record breaking heat this year. Citizens began to feel the extreme heat in March itself. When it is believed that the heat will increase in April-May, it is understood that what is the heat of this sun? What fun if someone leaves them cold. Scientists of the world are struggling to correct this idea of a new brain. Scientists around the world under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) are experimenting with two methods called Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) techniques to reduce the heat of the sun. However, some scientists are also opposing this experiment. They argue that tampering with the sun will further pollute the environment. So let’s know what scientists of the world are doing to cool the Sun and why their experiment is being opposed…
A UN report was released two weeks ago. The world’s top scientists participated in the report titled ‘One Atmosphere: An Independent Expert Review on SRM Research and Deployment’. They are claiming that if solar modification is introduced then the world will end before the apocalypse. Even the scientists involved in the UN expert panel are saying that they do not even have a full idea of its dangers at present. A threat can come so quickly that there may not even be a chance to stop it.
Where did the idea of solar modification come from?
In June 1991, a volcano called Mount Pinetubo erupted in the Philippines. Ash from the largest eruption of the 20th century covered the sky about 28 miles. After that event, the temperature dropped by about 1 degree for 15 months. Due to the ash, the sun’s rays could not reach the earth. This gave scientists a new idea. They thought that if a layer of matter was created between the sun and the atmosphere, the sun’s rays would not reach us. Thus the idea of solar modification was born.
Scientists are considering a plan to cool the sun under these two methods
After conducting many experiments in this direction, scientists began to believe that this could happen. That is, by covering the sun, its rays can be prevented from falling directly on the ground. For this there was much discussion on two methods. The first method is Marine Cloud Brightening. This marine cloud brightening modification technique involves making clouds over the ocean whiter, so that sunlight is reflected back into space. Scientists have found that the finer the cloud particles, the whiter they are. This is possible through cloud seeding. Artificial clouds are created in the cloud seeding method. China and America have come a long way in cloud seeding technology. They have made it rain prematurely many times through this technique. However, environmentalists are alleging that by altering the weather they are waging a war against the climate.
This method of reducing the sun’s heat will work in a similar way to cooling a hot object with water or some other cold liquid. In this process, scientists will spray sulfur dioxide on the upper part of the atmosphere with the help of large balloons. Sulfur has properties that will reflect the direct and hot rays of the sun. It is believed that due to this process the earth can get rid of extreme heat.
This second method of solar modification will provide quick relief from the heat just as running the air conditioner in summer provides instant relief. Many companies in the world have started working on techniques to reduce the heat of the sun. Some time ago, the British NGO Degrees Initiative announced that they will contribute about 9 lakh dollars, i.e. seven and a half crore rupees, to research on solar engineering.
Currently this research is being done in 15 countries. Apart from these NGOs, there are many other organizations, which are funding a lot of this research. Institutions like Oxford and Harvard are also researching it. A science fiction film called Snowpiercer was also made on the subject, in which a thick layer of vapor is created in the sky to reduce global warming.
What problems will this project cause?
If heat can be reduced so easily, why are scientists objecting to it? There are many reasons for this. For one, reducing the sun’s heat will not reduce pollution. If factories and vehicles continue to emit the same amount of smoke, pollution will continue. Rather, it may even increase its risks. Just as smoke does not escape quickly from a closed room, so will the effect on Earth. There will be a thick layer of vapor between the ground and the sky, which will act like a closed room. This can further worsen the level of pollution in the air.
Each country’s climate and crops behave differently. In such a situation, if the temperature of each country is reduced under a blanket plan, it may backfire. Certainly the heat will be reduced but the crop will not be produced. In such a situation, poor countries will become poorer.
Where did the controversy begin?
Poor or low-income countries have been selected as the sample area for this project, which claims to reduce global warming, while developed countries are polluting more. Consider that the average American produces 14.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, while a typical Indian produces 1.8 metric tons of carbon dioxide. It means Indians pollute less than Americans. Large countries are more responsible for global warming, but this experiment is planned to be done in developing countries. Many scientists are alleging that poor countries are being used to experiment with solar modification just as animals are used in laboratories. Many countries are also refusing to be part of this experiment.
This country imposed a ban
Mexico talked about banning solar modification projects in January this year. In fact, a startup ‘Make Sunsets’ started field testing in an area of Mexico. This company released two balloons filled with sulfur dioxide. No permission was taken from the Mexican government for that. As soon as this information came out, Mexico’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources took immediate action. An order to stop the project was issued. Currently, no country can use any kind of experiment over Mexico’s skies to cause any artificial changes in weather.