Playing God with Planet Earth

Description

Scientists mimic the effects of a volcanic explosion in a desperate bid to reverse global warming. As this program reveals, scientists are experimenting with radical schemes to cool the planet. Could these remedies be a form of technological suicide- salting the ocean with iron dust to trigger plankton blooms, shooting salt crystals into clouds to make them brighter, genetically-engineering 'robo-trees' to hoover carbon from the air? The one form of 'solar radiation management' likely to work fastest in a climate emergency would be to mimic the effects of a huge volcano by spraying clouds of sulfuric acid into the stratosphere. Jet drones or high-altitude balloons could do the job.

Runtime

44 min

Subjects

Genre

Date of Publication

[2014], c2010

Database

Films on Demand

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