I've only ever bought two editions of NG. I bought this month's (July) because it has a long article on where the big boys are headed with the new generation of giant telescopes, the largest being 42 metres of scope. And in next month's (August) there is a brief introductory article on bizarre proposals to shoot millions of tons of reflective particles, such as sulfate, into space to provide shade and protection from global warming. Has anyone heard of this from sources other than NG? It'd sure put a quick end to astronomy.
I don't mean to be a smarty pants, but global warming doesn't necessarily mean everywhere will get hotter. It will mean the weather will get less predictable, more extreme (say colder in Perth), and that the average global temperature will rise. Some have mooted the point that increased amounts of global dust, due to human activity has already offset global warming with another phenominon coined Global Dimming.
Whatever the case, increases in atmospheric dust, whether intentional or as a by product of our activities will mean out pricey toys become less effective.
I only began the thread because I can't imagine National Geographic publishing tripe merely to boost sales. So I'm guessing that blasting sulfate particles into the upper atmopheres is a reasonably serious proposal.
I don't mean to be a smarty pants, but global warming doesn't necessarily mean everywhere will get hotter. It will mean the weather will get less predictable, more extreme (say colder in Perth), and that the average global temperature will rise. Some have mooted the point that increased amounts of global dust, due to human activity has already offset global warming with another phenominon coined Global Dimming.
Whatever the case, increases in atmospheric dust, whether intentional or as a by product of our activities will mean out pricey toys become less effective.
I only began the thread because I can't imagine National Geographic publishing tripe merely to boost sales. So I'm guessing that blasting sulfate particles into the upper atmopheres is a reasonably serious proposal.
