Freezing over the problem: NASA and NOAA's latest climate change strategy

Freezing over the problem: NASA and NOAA’s latest climate change strategy

NASA's groundbreaking project to combat climate change by injecting ice into the atmosphere, an ingenious strategy that aims to cool the planet.

NASA's Ice Launch Plan: A Cool Solution for Global Warming

As the world grapples with the escalating challenge of climate change, scientists and researchers globally are in a relentless quest for innovative solutions to combat this pervasive issue. Among various propositions, one particularly original project by NASA has sparked widespread discussion: the plan to launch ice into the atmosphere in an attempt to cool the planet.

A novel approach to combating global warming

This groundbreaking strategy involves the dispatch of millions of tons of ice into Earth’s atmosphere. At first glance, this might seem simplistic, but it is underpinned by a significant depth of complexity and study. The method aims to cool the planet through an artificial cooling mechanism, a concept that, though it may sound like the fantasy of a child, represents an ingenious solution to tackle global warming.

The plan entails the use of aircraft flying at altitudes above 17,000 meters, well beyond the cruising altitude of commercial airplanes, to disperse ice in the upper atmosphere. This process is expected to lead to the immediate freezing of water, which would then fall back to Earth, helping to remove excess water vapor. Once transformed into greenhouse gas, water vapor retains heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the rise in global temperatures.

Collaboration between NASA and NOAA

In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA is exploring this strategy as a last resort to combat climate change. While not a definitive solution, the goal is to buy precious time, improving global climate conditions while efforts are made to reverse current trends. This proposal falls within the realm of geoengineering, a field that raises considerable concerns due to the potential side effects of its applications.

Although this intervention could provide temporary relief from the effects of carbon dioxide, it would not eliminate the need to reduce pollutant emissions, a critical step in addressing the root causes of the climate issue. Joshua Schwarz, a physicist at NOAA and lead author of a study published in Science Advances, emphasized that the project is purely theoretical at this stage and requires further research to assess its feasibility:

“It’s not something we can implement right away. It’s about exploring what might be possible in the future and identifying research directions.”

The plan includes introducing ice particles just below the stratosphere, where water vapor slowly ascends, acting as a primary greenhouse gas.

Despite the ingenuity of the approach, experts remain cautious. Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria, has expressed doubts about the practice of addressing the symptoms of climate change without directly tackling its causes, such as CO2 emissions.

Source: Science Advances

Canada bans the use of dedly strychnine in wildlife management

Progress in Canada's controversial wildlife management. Large carnivores can no longer be killed using strychnine, a particularly toxic alkaloid capable of causing great suffering in animals that ingest it

@hlyfck/123rf.com

In a groundbreaking move, Health Canada has announced a complete ban on the use of strychnine for wildlife control and management across the Canadian territories. This decision marks a significant victory for animal welfare and environmental groups, who have long campaigned against the use of this potent poison.

No more strychnine in wildlife management

For years, animal protection organizations have documented the dangerous effects of strychnine, a toxin that induces severe and immediate symptoms in affected animals. Known for causing excruciating convulsions that can last up to 24 hours, strychnine eventually leads to death through suffocation or sheer exhaustion from unbearable suffering.

However, the impact of strychnine extends beyond its intended targets. Each year, this alkaloid is responsible for the deaths of a staggering number of non-target wildlife, including golden eagles, lynxes, and even pet dogs that encounter poisoned baits.

“This decision is a huge victory for wildlife across Canada. Strychnine is among the most horrific poisons out there. We are thrilled that animals will no longer endure the agony of strychnine poisoning in the Canadian landscape,” stated Kaitlyn Mitchell, Director of Legal Advocacy at Animal Justice.

What is strychnine?

Experts from the Italian Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes explain that strychnine is a plant-based alkaloid extracted from the Strychnos nux vomica. It appears as a white powder with a bitter taste, unfortunately used in the preparation of poisoned baits.

Until now, the use of this substance was permitted in wildlife management programs in Canada, a practice widely regarded as unacceptable. Hence, animal welfare organizations consider this ban a significant achievement.

Alternative measures must be implemented

The scientific community has long advocated for the necessity of implementing alternative measures to wildlife culling for reducing livestock predation. The ban on poisoning represents a critical step toward a more respectful approach to animal life.

“There are more effective ways to prevent conflicts, which are also more ethically and environmentally responsible. Many Canadians are already successfully using them,” said Sadie Parr of WeHowl

highlighting the importance of adopting alternative conflict resolution methods that do not compromise animal welfare.