'Cloud Ship' is Favorite to Cut Global Warming

Scientists say that an armada of ships with huge funnels travelling the world's oceans are the best idea to cut global warming.

A flotilla of 1900 cloud ships would be needed to cruise the Pacific Ocean in order to create clouds that would deflect the sun rays and curb global warming. The project, now being worked on by U.S. and UK scientists is the favorite among many schemes aimed at fighting climate change. It would see wind-powered ships travelling the ocean sucking up seawater and spraying minuscule droplets of it out through tall funnels to create large white clouds, reports the Telegraph. David Young, from the think-tank that commissioned the study said When you spray saltwater into the air, you create nuclei that cloud condenses around, creating bigger and whiter clouds, thus bouncing more sunlight back into space. The Copenhagen Consensus Centre, which advises governments on how to spend aid money, examined several plans and found the cloud ships to be the most cost-effective. The ships would cost $9 billion to test and launch within 25 years. Peanuts compared to the $250 billion that the world’s leading nations are considering spending each year to cut CO2 emissions. It is estimated to cost $395 trillion to launch mirrors into space reports Mail Online. The authors of the study also took into account human costs on health, impact on different industries such as agriculture and tourism and the effect of flooding. Young also said It's important to note that this technology wouldn't reduce carbon emissions or tackle the causes of global warming, but would mask its effects.