Geoengineering is the manipulation of an environmental process in order to affect the earth’s climate, particularly to counteract the effects of global warming. Geoengineering first began in the mid-1900s, when people began to realize the environment could be manipulated to produce rain using a method called cloud seeding. Although geoengineering has been around for almost half a century, it is still a relatively controversial topic as people worry that geoengineering may have downsides that we do not yet know of. Besides cloud seeding which may result in more rain, geoengineering is being looked at for ways to reduce the rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air. Reducing the CO2 levels is important for our future as a human race as …show more content…
Cloud seeding first began in a lab at General Electric (GE) in 1946 where GE discovered, “that flecks of dry ice converted supercooled water droplets … to ice crystals” (Weather Modification Association). This realization quickly led to more research and trials a few years later. Today, cloud seeding’s purpose is to increase the amount of precipitation over a particular area. This increase would provide a myriad of benefits to both those in the agricultural industry, and those living in areas of extreme drought. The increase in precipitation will lead to more crop production, less fire hazards in the drier climates, and more water storage. And although cloud seeding may sound like a technology of the future, it has been utilized effectively for around ten …show more content…
The cloud seeding project was coordinated by ------, the head of ----- in China. The project had been successful in previous years by increasing the rainfall by 1/6th of an inch. There are two different methods for cloud seeding for the different two cloud types. The first method is most effective for warm clouds and is done through hygroscopic seeding. Hygroscopic seeding initiates percipitation through the introduction of a liquid and a salt, usually through a flare, into the atmosphere by using an aircraft to dispense the salt and liquid filled flares (Introduction of Seeding Agents). As the flare burns, the salt is released and small droplets of water are attached to it. The second type of cloud seeding, glaciogenic seeding, is used with warm clouds (Introduction to Seeding Agents). Essentially the seeding agents, silver iodine and dry ice, are disbursed into the clouds through air craft to create more ice crystals to which the water droplets attract, making heavier clouds that will rain sooner. Although these methods are relatively effective and said to be safe for the environment and people, the long term effects are unknown. This has caused concern among people who believe cloud seeding is releasing unwanted chemicals into the air. People are also beginning to link cloud seeding to the mysterious chem-trails they have seen left behind in
The dawn of a new engineering technique called geoengineering aims to save the Earth via large-scale manipulation of the environment to counteract global warming. “The Geoengineering Gambit” by Kevin Bullis, is an article about some of the ways geoengineering could solve the climate crisis and the problems that could be created by those solutions. Bullis gained knowledge of geoengineering and the climate problem from his work as energy editor for the journal Technology Review. Bullis' job as an editor builds for him a strong base of believability in the field, and demonstrates the basis for his credibility while building his ethos. The proposed geoengineering solutions are in relation to the current climate problems. Bullis’ purpose was to bring attention to the current geoengineering proposed solutions. Bullis talks about the current solutions that geoengineering offers but also the perceived problems as well. Bullis also brings up the ethical problems that can arise from these solutions. For example, problems nations would have with another nation launching things into the atmosphere is one of the many problems Bullis finds cause to study. Bullis also brings up his feelings on geoengineering and how it would be better if mankind were able to lessen the impact on our environment instead of applying temporary or artificial fixes. Bullis intentionally aimed this article at everyone given the worldwide impact on people that some claim through geoengineering. Bullis unintentionally aimed the article at the US Government and other leaders from influential nations. The tone of the article is really saying that geoengineering could possibly help but more tests and results are necessary before drawing important conclusions. ...
The term used for this manipulation is geoengineering, the manipulation of any environmental process. Scientists have proven that geoengineering has led to climate change, mainly global warming. The atmosphere was compared to 20th century times when, “high levels of pollution sent massive amounts of aerosols into the atmosphere, where they blocked some of the sun’s energy” (Zielinski). The amount of aerosols in the atmosphere determines the amount of the sun’s energy we receive, the more there are, the lesser energy reaches the Earth’s surface, and vice versa. Scientists have been able to prove that these contrails contribute to climate change (Zielinski). The sun’s energy is either blocked off, or absorbed, causing global warming or cooling. Christina Sarich states that, “the government continues to lie to us about the existence of weather-ownership via geoengineering”. This is important because we need the sun to survive and the aerosols being sent into the atmosphere make the sun dim and the amount of energy we receive changes (Zielinski). Jane McGrath also states that “the government is intentionally spraying people with harmful substances into order to experiment with the effects” in order to “weed out the sick and the elderly”. Chemtrails have been scientifically proven, but the government denies their
Understanding the plate tectonics theory is very important, especially when investigating natural disasters like earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. It is also gives scientists the ability to understand how mountains were formed between two tectonic plates. There are three types of interactions between plate boundaries: convergent, divergent and transform. Looking back at the history of these three different interactions, earthquakes, like the one in Haiti, volcanic eruptions, like at Mount St. Helens, and the creation of mountain belts, like the Mid-Atlantic Oceanic ridge, gives information on future consequences of tectonic movement, and what can happen when the plates interact with each other.
The major effect most scientists fear as the result of increased levels of CO2 in our atmosphere is global warming. By blocking the heat reflected from the Earth's surface, greenhouse gases are able to warm the planet in a similar way to how glass warms up a greenhouse. Without this greenhouse effect, it is calculated our planet would be 35 degrees Celsius cooler worldwide, causing oceans to freeze and greatly altering life (Doyle, 1996). Accordi...
There are numerous stages that take place simultaneously in the hydrologic cycle and this includes evaporation. This is when the water alters from a liquid state into a gas. The damp air from the water rises into the atmosphere and when it cools, the vapor condenses and shapes into clouds. But those billows are not the only form the vapors make; it can also materialize as dew, fog and mist, which blanket the Earth, characteristically on a rainy or humid day. Evaporation takes place when water changes from a liquid state into a gaseous state, and ascents out of the pores of the earth and into the atmosphere as a vapor (“How”). While evaporation is taking place, condensation is also occurring. When the temperature in the air plunges, the clouds become heavy and as a result they relieve themselves of the extra weight, which is called precipitation. This produces rain, hail, snow and sleet, conditioned upon the temperate. As the precipitation falls, it enters the surface of the ground and percolates into the soil, which is called infiltration. The more porous the land is, the more the infiltration can take place. However, the ground cannot hold all of that water and floods. The excess rainfall, which is also called runoff that has not been absorbed makes its way into bodies of water, such as small ponds, rivers, lakes and parts of the ocean (“Summary”).
The Five Themes of Geography are: Location – Absolute points on a map or grid or Relative to where something may be; Place – The physical and/or human characteristics of a locations; Human/Environment Interactions – How humans have impacted the landscape or environment; Relationship between places Movement – How humans interact on the earth (i.e. how they communicate over distance (short or long)) and Regions – a unit of space that has commonalities defined by physical, human and environmental geography. The Explorers of the New World may have not known what the Five Themes of Geography were but they quickly learned. Of the five themes the ones that they all took advantage of was the physical Location and Place as they learned to navigate to and from as well as through their new environments. Over Time the explorers began to discover the relationships within their environments and original occupants of the lands as well as the regions in which they now occupied.
One of the most compelling and difficult environmental problems society faces today is climate change. People do not realize how much the environment has changed for the worse in the last ten years, until they are told that the last two decades of the 20th century have been the hottest in the last 400 years, according to climate studies (Conserve Energy Future). Today, the carbon dioxide levels have reached 396.81 parts per million (ppm). “Carbon dioxide (CO2) has also increased over the last 100 years-- from about 300 ppm to 370 ppm. Interestingly, the majority of these additions have occurred in the last 50 years, when temperature increases have been the slowest” (geocraft).
Once upon a time high above the earth, fluffy white clouds drifted through the atmosphere. In the clouds lived a family Droplet of water, round and content with life. For as long as I could remember, I spent my days lying on my back, relaxing and soaking up the sun's warm rays. One day, I took my usual place in the sun but the light didn't seem to be as bright. In fact, as the day went on, it grew darker and darker, loud claps of thunder shook the cloud, and the Droplet felt as if he were getting so heavy he could hardly move. This is called precipitation.
Scientists have tested and used cloud and atmospheric seeding for weather modification and know these methods have quick effect and the cost is extremely inexpensive to deliver the chemicals to the stratosphere. It is in private enterprises’ best interest to suggest that we are past the point where reducing emissions will help. When there is a problem, there are companies that will come up with solutions for a profit, and if geoengineering is touted as a cheap, quick and easy fix, it would be so much easier for everyone. There wouldn’t have to be drastic changes in fossil fuel usage or production. In the US alone t...
As we approach the future we are faced with many global problems. Most of these problems arise because we have caused them ourselves. We need to face these problems and find a solution. Global warming, although most often overlooked in importance, is a crucial problem of the future directly related to human activities. Global warming is caused by gases humans release into the atmosphere called anthropogenic gases and by deforestation. Anthropogenic gases include carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofl...
The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...
Global Warming One of the most substantial problems in the world today is global warming. This gradual warming of the earth is in occurrence at an extremely slow rate but it is happening. Many scientists believe that as human’s work and release greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere, it can become dangerous for the long lasting life of humans and our environment. “Unless we take immediate action, the impacts of global warming will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly and damaging, and increasingly affect the entire planet - including you, your community, and your family” (“Global Warming Impacts”).
There are lots of environmental issues going on globally. The earth faces problems such as pollution, global warming, waste disposal, and loss of biodiversity. These are just a small amount of issues out of the so many. These environmental problems pose an abundant amount of risk to the health of humans and animals. There needs to be a solution to all these problems and that is by informing others, so that way everyone can make the environment a better place.
A thunderstorm that produces large amounts of precipitation which reaches the ground should have deep moisture stratums in unstable conditions, causing enough convection to be restricted to the electrification level of the atmosphere, or being lifted by orographic or frontal systems (Rorig and Ferguson, 1999). However, some thunderstorms produce small amounts of precipitation or none. Colson (1960) explained this phenomenon as a result of high-level thunderstorms with high cloud bases where the appropriate conditions for triggering lightning flashes accompanied by precipitation are situated in the upper levels. Rorig and Ferguson (1999) analysed the synoptic patterns of dry thunderstorms and concluded that low moisture levels in the inferior part of the atmosphere coupled with high instability, leads to the evaporation of precipitation prior to reaching the ground level, this way reducing the moisture content of the underlying surface.
It seems that every era from ancient times to modern times has engineers playing a strong role in the development of society; they build many structures that identify that culture and time period. Engineers create something out of an idea; they fill a need and fulfill a dream such as a skyscraper that no one thought would ever be possible. “Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which has never been” (Albert Einstein).