Perched on sea-ice off Canada’s northern coast, parka-clad scientists watch saltwater pump out over the frozen ocean.
Their goal? To slow global warming.
As sea-ice vanishes, the dark ocean surface can absorb more of the Sun’s energy, which accelerates warming. So the researchers want to thicken it to stop it melting away.
Welcome to the wackier side of geoengineering – deliberately intervening in the Earth’s climate system to try to counteract the damage we have done to it.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68206309
I can’t even.
They are drilling a hole in the sea-ice that naturally forms in winter, and pumping around 1,000 litres of seawater per minute across the surface.
…
The ultimate goal of the Arctic experiment is to thicken enough sea-ice to slow or even reverse the melting already seen, says Dr Shaun Fitzgerald, whose team at the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Climate Repair is behind the project.
At least the BBC talked to some semi-sane people.
“It is quite insane in my opinion that this could be done at scale for the entire Arctic Ocean,” says Julienne Stroeve, a professor of polar observation and modelling at University College London.
…
And then there’s the huge logistical challenge of scaling the project up to a meaningful level – one estimate suggests that you could need about 10 million wind-powered pumps to thicken sea-ice across just a tenth of the Arctic.
These morons are discussing placing billions upon billions of dollars worth of heavy mechanical infrastructure on drifting impermanent ice floes.
I’m having difficulty thinking of an imaginary plan that is more stupid that this one.
Go to the BBC site to read the complete story of this inanity.
H/T John C
The Arctic normally warms during each centennial solar minimum because of an increase in negative North Atlantic Oscillation conditions and a warmer AMO. The ocean surface will not absorb more of the Sun’s energy because there has been an associated increase in cloud cover over the Arctic Ocean, making most mid summer 80-90N mean temperatures since 2000, colder than the 1959-2023 average.
https://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/meant80n.uk.php
This technique was actually used on Prudhoe Bay, Alaska fifty years ago. Holes were drilled in the sea ice and rapidly spinning augers pulled water from below the ice and spread it over the surface where it froze. It was done to thicken the ice, creating ice roadways where heavy equipment could be safely driven. Changing the climate wasn’t a goal.
Let’s not mention that sea ice is fresh water and that the saline sea water is going to dissolve the sea ice. Duh. AND, who is going to go out there and maintain the millions of wind turbines, the polar bears and seals?
The Grauniad had a piece on this on 28th Feb and quoted an assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology who said
“It’s not a solution – it’s a sticking plaster”
They also mentioned that a spin off from UK Bangor University called, wait for it, ‘Real Ice’ has a similar idea for field tests using a 600-watt hydrogen fuel cell powered water pump. Some people seem to have too much time on their hands. 🙂
I think it’s just trolling for grant money … a fake solution to a fake problem …
We have previous experience to assess costs ! jIn WW2, a huge ice “ship” was built. It was too expensive…the project was shut down…and apparently the prototype took 2 summers to melt…
https://www.combinedops.com/Pykrete.htm
It wasn’t too expensive, it’s just that by the time they had the prototype finished, the advent of new, long range bombers had closed the Atlantic gap and they were no longer needed.
Why aren’t the polar bears where we need them?
“These morons are discussing placing billions upon billions of dollars worth of heavy mechanical infrastructure on drifting impermanent ice floes.”
Just bring back the WW2 idea of pykrete aircraft carriers. Only this time they’d carry pumps instead of aircraft!
“10 million wind-powered pumps to thicken sea-ice across just a tenth of the Arctic”. And then 50 million workers to maintain and service them. Plus all the support industry to house and feed them. And that doesn’t include all the millions of workers required to install and remove the wind generators and pumps and camps each winter. Where will all the money come from for this? Oh that’s easy, government grants.
These people have no concept of reality.
That is my definition of a progressive.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2016/09/12/why-albedo-is-the-wrong-measure-of-reflectivity-for-modeling-climate/
If something goes very wrong, do they have a plan to reverse what they have done? Flux capacitors are in very short supply from what I have heard.