Day 06 — sun dimming + dim summing

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Many methods for dealing with increasing temperatures are touted by people who have an interest in solving the climate changing crisis (I won’t say their interest is purely financial; although the advocates seem to favour different techno-fixes depending on which start-up/research project they’ve invested in). 

The geoengineering lingo for the various means of injecting particles into the atmosphere in order to reflect more sunlight back to space is known as Solar Radiation Management (SRM)

[The many other proposed techno-fixes are a whole other kettle of batshitcrazy that might form the basis of a different poem later this month, but today’s poem gonna focused solely on ones that deal with the sun — & the three short stanzas I’m sharing concern sulphate aerosols. Not the space mirrors. Not the billions of aluminised, hydrogen-filled balloons. Just the sulphate. Aerosol.]

This poem written, the topic for my Poetic Factoid practically wrote itself.

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dim the sun

spraying sulphate aerosols into the stratosphere
via specially techofitted airplanes

or to rush ludicrously to the other extreme 
via very long hoses hanging from helium balloons

even squirting it into the sky — somehow —
via cannons (yes, you read it right)

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dim the sum

“dim sum” can be translated 
as point of the heart
   — or touch the heart

dim sum is also best enjoyed 
with a large group of friends
   — explaining why i never eat it 

Day 27 – techno fixes: otherwise known as plans B, C, D, E & Z

By this late stage of the month, I had hoped to move on to a few more “positive” poems. Some Good News Poems (of which there are, unquestionably, some). But I keep getting drawn back to things I want to share with people who possibly don’t know, some of the crazy shit that’s going on.

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techno fixes: otherwise known as plans B, C, G, Q & Z 

fertilizing oceans with iron : supposedly : to get sea plants : photosynthesising phytoplankton : thus growing faster : thus pulling CO2 : out : of the air : trouble is : small scale tests of this : have been tried : to no known benefit 

covering deserts : with vast : white sheets : a la Christo : thereby reflecting sunlight : back to space : you know : what the ice caps : used to do : before we : melted them : like giant : dripping down our hands : ice-creams

building some form of : superdooper : whizz bang : machine : that can suck carbon : clean out the sky : there’s been limited success : trialling these : odorous particle eaters : just in no way : no way nearly no way : in enough quantities of scale : to be of any benefit : can you guess : what powers them

exchanging : very cold : deep ocean water : for much warmer : surface water : the top 200 metres : only exchanges : with the deep : every : 10,000 years or so : therefore : by artificially encouraging them to swap : the oceans : can be a heat sink : while we : find a permanent solution : haha you know i’m kidding : we’ll do nothing proactive : always ever only : reactive

some of the : sun-dimming : options which have been suggested : & remember : this is not comedy i’m writing here 

space mirrors : that’s right : big mirrors in space to bounce : the sun’s rays away : thus potentially : running the risk : of inadvertently flashing it : into a passing alien hyperdrive’s eyes : thereby really pissing : our FTL neighbours off

cloud brightening : spraying seawater skywards : from specially coopted : fleets of boats : or tall towers on shore : supposedly to create more cloud cover : or to make the clouds we have : more reflective : longer lasting : or something 

the most popular option : revolves round : spraying sulphate aerosols : high into our stratosphere : via retrofitted planes : or cannons : or even : & this is genuine : a really long hose suspended by helium balloons : acting like : an artificial volcano : spewing forth : ash & debris : which floats around : reflecting sunlight : up up & away

even a small scale : “nothing too big” : local : nuclear war : between Pakistan & India perhaps : could work : would be easy : to orchestrate : the results : should probably bring : a mini ice age : though who knows : what other : pesky side-effects besides

or, you know, we could : properly fund renewables R&D : eat less meat : plant some trees : even : & here’s a thought : leaping out of left field : actually : curb : fossil : fuel : emissions