Markku Kulmala, a professor at the University of Helsinki, proposes that increasing sulfur emissions from ships during the summer months could reflect more sunlight away from Earth, potentially aiding in the fight against climate change.
Markku Kulmala, professor of aerosol and environmental physics at the University of Helsinki, has introduced a controversial proposal to combat climate change by increasing the sulfur emissions from ships during the summer months. This radical idea hinges on using more sulfur-rich fuel for ships for a six-month period, from mid-March to mid-September, allowing for the formation of more clouds over the oceans. These clouds would reflect sunlight back into space, potentially helping to cool the Earth, especially during the summer when solar radiation is strongest.
Kulmala credits the original idea to author Risto Isomäki and believes it is a feasible strategy that could provide significant benefits in the fight against climate change. He emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in how society approaches environmental policies, suggesting that temporarily sacrificing some environmental gains for a greater overall benefit could be worthwhile. Kulmala argues that while clouds generally warm the Earth in winter, they can have a cooling effect in summer, thus increasing their cooling impact could help slow down the pace of climate change.
His perspective provides a thought-provoking angle in the ongoing discourse about climate mitigation strategies, challenging conventional solutions and raising questions about the complexities of environmental science and policy. The proposal will likely spark debate among scientists, policymakers, and the public as they weigh the implications of such an unusual tactic against traditional frameworks for addressing climate change.
