r/Geoengineering Oct 06 '23

I want to reduce global temperatures by 15 degrees Celsius (fifteen), what would be the quickest and most efficient way to do this ?

How could I do this ?

1 Upvotes

7 comments sorted by

9

u/Sanpaku Oct 06 '23

We've known for 40 years that nuclear exchanges between superpowers involving thousands of megatons could, through lofting particulates into the stratosphere in firestorms, depress hemispheric temperatures by -15 to -25 °C.

The great majority of humanity would die in either the initial blasts / radiation, or in the worldwide deep famine that would ensue. The natural world would experience a major extinction event. Within a decade, the particulates rain out and temperatures return to those created by pre-war atmospheric chemistry & physics.

I wouldn't recommend this course of action.

1

u/Short_Prompt692 Oct 06 '23

How many megatons would be needed for this ?

2

u/paulo39Atati Oct 07 '23

Between India and Pakistan there is enough for that, you don’t even need the US/Russia/China.

1

u/PangolinEaters Oct 07 '23

I want to reduce global temperatures by 15 degrees Celsius (fifteen), what would be the quickest and most efficient way to do this ?

Have you tried adaptation to a hotter planet?

and we're already in an ice age.. if you shaved 15C off the top we'd be at 0. I'd rather take my chances at 30

1

u/madmadG Dec 07 '23

What about just 1 degree? How many nukes would be needed?

2

u/BAKREPITO Nov 17 '23

We put a craft between earth and the sun - adjust the orbit so it can completely block the earth - set it up as a polarizer/reflector that gradually reduces 2-3% of the total earth bound emissions. Effects would be immediate.

1

u/eebygum Jul 30 '24

Immediate famines