On January 23, 2024, there was an article in a newspaper that said the Kashmir region, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, was suffering from winter drought. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the town of Kashmir is famous for its skiing and snowboarding. In places where up to 2.5 meters of snow would normally accumulate in November, the amount of snow in early January this year was only a few centimeters. Ski resorts are experiencing a flurry of reservation cancellations. In a normal year, a large amount of snow accumulates on glaciers during the winter due to extratropical cyclones coming from the Mediterranean Sea, and there is a scene that abundant water flows into the Indus River. However, as the strength of the extratropical cyclone has weakened, snowfall in the Indus River basin has become weaker and weaker, raising concerns about water shortages. It is feared that this water shortage will have a serious impact on agriculture in the Indus River Basin.
It’s no fun just lamenting and worrying about water shortages. It is also a fun brain exercise to find a mechanism to solve the problem of water shortage while solving the problems of global warming and climate change. Countermeasures against climate change, food security, and securing safe water resources are cited as global environmental issues that must be resolved as soon as possible. More and more people are expressing frustration at the lack of progress on this issue. So, here are some solutions that come with risks. The current average surface temperature of the Earth is approximately +15°C. This temperature makes it a comfortable climate for humans. The comfortable environment that surrounds us is due to a moderate greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases have become the bad guys. However, when the greenhouse effect disappears, the temperature of the earth will drop to around -18 degrees Celsius, and it will become a land of polar caps that crops cannot grow.
The Earth receives 340 watts of energy per square meter, reflects 100 watts and absorbs 240 watts. Theoretically, if all 340W were reflected, the Earth would become a snowball Earth, and the Earth would become extremely cold. Another factor that promotes cooling is large volcanic eruptions. Large volcanic eruptions release aerosols into the stratosphere. These aerosols reflect sunlight and lower temperatures on the ground. By allowing fine aerosols to remain in the ozone layer, more of the 340 watts of energy will be reflected. This reflection can result in moderate cooling. It seems that the time has come to devise other countermeasures, rather than relying solely on the excessive use of fossil fuels as the reason for global warming.
