The cover of the November 2015 issue of National Geographic has a satellite image of the Eastern hemisphere (Africa to Asia), over which is printed the phrase “Cool it.” This special climate issue focuses on how to stop and reverse global warming, and the criticality of warming trends on several populations of people and animals.
Reducing the solar flux by reflecting sunlight is the basis of several proposed ideas. One would add sulfur to jet fuel, which should be converted to sulfate particles and increase reflectivity in much the same manner as the eruptions of Mt. Pinatubo and Krakatoa. Another idea: Sequestration of CO2 from air by giant absorbers or adding powdered iron to the oceans to stimulate plankton growth.
“The Will to Change” describes Germany’s 27% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2012. Germany has also closed half of its nuclear power plants, with all 17 reactors on track to be closed by 2022. Reactors generate waste heat, while wind and photogalvanics do not.
“How To Fix It?” recommends some measures that can be taken to help reverse warming, irrespective of its cause. Of interest is the comparison of an 89-ft2 home with the average American home today, which is about 2657 ft2.
Included in this section is an article entitled, “A Way Forward,” on how the U.S. could possibly eliminate fossil fuels, and its repowering of 50 coal-fired electric-generation stations. The author imagines a world in which transportation will be powered by batteries. These would be required to fill in the dips in power generation when solar and wind are not sufficient.
Repairing infrastructure is also long overdue. (Witness the 2300 natural gas leaks reported in Boston, Mass., which have been attributed to the corrosion of metalic distribution pipes that are more than 50 years old.)
A photo-rich essay on the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati warns about the perils of living in a rising sea. Thermal expansion of water due to warming plus diminishing water storage in glaciers are contributing to the rise in sea level.
National Geographic’s November 2015 issue is a must-read for everyone. For more information visit http://press.nationalgeographic.com/files/2015/10/NGM-Nov2015-pressroom.jpg.
Robert L. Stevenson, Ph.D., is Editor Emeritus, American Laboratory/Labcompare; e-mail: [email protected].