Item — HN Reader

If we dim the sun, the brakes are off for burning fossil fuels, especially as yields from solar will decrease.

Great news if you're in the fossil fuel business, bad news if the side effects of burning fossil fuels besides the carbon emissions bother you.

In particular, ecosystem/habitat destruction would only be amplified by the dimming.

1 comments

Except, you know, for the change in distribution of temperature with latitude, and changes in precipitation patterns, and acidification of the ocean. And the aerosols will change the color of the sky. The sun will be surrounded by a bilious corona of scattered light. But all that is still better than unaddressed CO2 emission.

The decrease in solar yield will be quite modest.

Your argument is like "discovering imperfect treatments for lung cancer just encourages smoking."

> "discovering imperfect treatments for lung cancer just encourages smoking"

Well yes, it does? The better the treatment the less reason to avoid it.

The monstrous part is then saying we shouldn't look for lung cancer treatments.

Eh not necessarily. Not all lung cancers are caused by smoking, nor is it the only thing influencing the decision. I'd imagine the ever increasing prices of cigarettes and a ban from smoking in public places play a larger role in discouraging it.