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News:

A new study published in Geophysical Research Letters suggests that injecting diamond dust into the atmosphere could be an effective method to cool the planet.

Before we read the topic, do understand,

What is Geoengineering?

Geoengineering refers to any large-scale attempt to alter the Earth’s natural climate system to counter the adverse impacts of global warming.

1. Solar Radiation Management (SRM), in which materials are proposed to be deployed in Space to reflect incoming solar rays and prevent them from reaching Earth, is one of the two broad geoengineering options being explored.
2. Then there are Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies, which include Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). While they offer quick-fix solutions for reducing emissions or temperatures, they are not particularly viable.

So, the topic is related to Solar Radiation Management (SRM).

While carbon capture technologies have been proposed, the team argues that if a tipping point has been reached, more drastic measures may be necessary to reflect sunlight and heat back into space. The study evaluated seven different materials, including calcite, aluminium, silicon carbide, and sulfur dioxide.

Surprisingly, diamond dust emerged as the most promising option. What so special about diamond?

1. The researchers found that diamond particles would reflect the most light and heat, remain airborne for an optimal duration, and be unlikely to clump together in the atmosphere.
2. Unlike sulfur dioxide, which is currently considered a leading candidate for atmospheric injection but risks causing acid rain and ozone depletion, diamond dust is chemically inert.
3. This property significantly reduces the likelihood of harmful environmental side effects.

The climate models suggest that annually injecting 5 million tons of synthetic diamond dust into the atmosphere could potentially cool the Earth by 1.6°C over 45 years.

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