No Joke: Jeff Bezos' Amazon Wants To Dim The Sun To Solve Climate Change
Amazon's Jeff Bezos wants to dim the Sun in hopes of solving the climate crisis, which is progressing at alarming rates
There goes Jeff Bezos again - trying to change the world. Now, Bezos' Amazon is trying to find ways which would help scientists dim the Sun.
Amazon Web Services' recently created 30 simulations of what Earth could look like by the middle of this century based on climate change trajectories. Usually, supercomputers perform this task. But Amazon attempted to create the models on the cloud.
For starters, cloud computing is way cheaper than building a supercomputer and that's exactly why this could be revolutionary.
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Grim models of Earth's future
In collaboration with SilverLining, Amazon is studying solar radiation management. In other words, in few models created on the cloud, humans managed to dim the Sun just a little bit in the future, allowing less energy to reach Sun. Essentially, this would mean less heat getting trapped on Earth.
In such a scenario, temperature would be cooler than in most models. Sea ice would also not become seasonal, and the sky would be more white than blue.
Also read: Jeff Bezos Thinks Earth Will Be A Tourist Destination For Future Humans Born In Space
Although we don't know much about how the Sun would be dimmed, Amazon Web Services is creating models for the time period between 2035-2070 using NCAR's Community Earth System Model Version 2 and Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. Of course, the solution would be created here on Earth, with sun blockers. Nobody's going to the Sun (yet)!
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What will scientists do to dim the Sun?
Simply put, tiny, reflective particles would be put in the Earth's stratosphere while aircraft or high-altitude balloons to prevent the sunlight from reaching Earth. While dimming the Sun might sound expensive, it may not be that big a deal for billionaires the magnitude of Jeff Bezos.
Also read: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Building 'Orbital Reef' Space Station Within This Decade
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The project itself remains contentious because it might produce unpredictable results. According to Gizmodo, it could cost $10 billion a year.
What do you think - is our last resort to limit the amount of sunlight that reaches Earth to stop climate change? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
Citation
Kahn, B. (2021, December 1). Amazon Is Helping Researchers Study How to Dim the Sun. Gizmodo.
I live for all-things-technology - gadgets, novel climate solutions, and startups that are changing the game. In my leisurely hours, you can find me binge watching science fiction films, writing poetry, or dancing to pop anthems.
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