Environment: scientists plan to manipulate the climate

A balloon filled with a few grams of sulfur sent into the atmosphere to try to cool our planet. This is the astonishing experiment attempted by an American, a novice in the field. If the initiative looks like a sorcerer’s apprentice fantasy, the subject is very serious and interests the scientific community. Artificially modifying the climate to mitigate global warming is the geo-engineering. In the United States, researchers have a project to send large balloons between 12 and 50 kilometers above our heads, into the stratosphere. The goal, to dump not a few grams, but tons of sulfur.

A “dangerous” project

The idea is to reproduce what happened after the eruption of a volcano in the Philippines. In 1991, the Pinatubo released millions of tons of sulphur, causing the world temperature to drop by half a degree for two years. To create such an effect today, it would therefore be necessary to continuously pour astronomical quantities of sulfur gas. Impossible and above all risky, because it could induce changes in atmospheric circulation. More rains, floods in some places, more drought in others. For the majority of scientists, these projects should be abandoned. “What we have to do is limit greenhouse gas emissions and instead of that, we would continue to emit greenhouse gases and we would add additional gases, so it’s a bit dangerous “explains Cathy Clebauxresearch director at the CNRS.