Radiolab

Smog Cloud Silver Lining

4 snips
Sep 22, 2023
Hank Green, a passionate environmentalist and renowned science educator behind SciShow and Crash Course, discusses the alarming climate situations of summer 2023. He highlights how the reduction of sulfurous smog from cargo ships might have unexpectedly warmed ocean waters. Hank shares insights on balancing fear and hope in addressing climate change. He dives into the intriguing yet contentious topic of geoengineering, exploring its risks and ethical dilemmas while emphasizing the need for collective action amidst ongoing environmental challenges.
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ANECDOTE

Doomsday Preppers

  • Hank Green, during cancer treatment, encountered doomsday preppers online.
  • They fixated on a North Atlantic temperature spike chart, claiming imminent disaster.
INSIGHT

Unintended Consequences

  • UN regulations mandating cleaner ship fuel unintentionally increased ocean temperatures.
  • Removing sulfur dioxide from ship exhaust reduced cloud cover, increasing solar radiation absorption.
INSIGHT

Silver Lining

  • Hank Green views the unintended warming as an opportunity to study cloud formation's cooling effects.
  • He suggests exploring alternative methods for creating clouds without harmful byproducts.
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