'A $600,000 per megaton idea': Scientists believe diamonds can be used to cool down the Earth. Here's how
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Diamond Cooling
How crazy is it if we told you diamonds, humanity's best friend, could be used to cool the planet? Researchers have proposed using diamond nanoparticles in the atmosphere to reflect sunlight and reduce global temperatures.
Heist Inspiration
Imagine a heist movie where George Clooney steals diamonds, not for money, but to crush them into powder and scatter through the stratosphere to combat climate change. While it sounds like science fiction, a study suggests it's scientifically plausible.
Pricy Solution
Researchers led by Sandro Vattioni from ETH Zurich found that scattering diamond dust in the stratosphere could work for cooling. But here’s the catch: it would cost hundreds of trillions of dollars to implement such a solution.
SAI Concept
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) is a theoretical method where reflective particles are injected into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight. Scientists have been exploring this to see if it could offset rising global temperatures.
Sulfur Drawbacks
Sulfur dioxide has been a leading candidate for SAI because it's cheap. However, it comes with serious risks like ozone depletion and acid rain. Diamonds, while expensive, would avoid these harmful side effects.
Diamond Benefits
Diamond particles have excellent heat resistance and reflectivity. Unlike sulfur, they wouldn’t clump or react to form toxic chemicals, making them an ideal candidate to remain in the atmosphere for effective cooling.
Cost Dilemma
Although diamonds offer a safer and more effective solution than sulfur, their prohibitive cost—up to $600,000 per megaton—makes them unlikely to be used on a large scale anytime soon. The bill could easily exceed trillions.
Future Potential
While the study highlights the potential of diamonds for cooling, the practicality of using them remains far-fetched. Still, the research offers valuable insights into how atmospheric manipulation might help combat climate change.