Streetlights consume a huge amount of electricity every year. It is estimated that nighttime illumination produces over 40 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas produced by 8.5 million passenger vehicles.
Some scientists proposed an unorthodox method of brightening up the moon, so that the albedo, or the reflexivity of the moon’s surface, can be increased. The sky will therefore turn brighter at night and the need for street lighting, as well as its associated energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission, can be significantly reduced. This will help fight global warming and climate change.
It is estimated that only 0.1 percent of the moon's surface area, which is about 37 times the size of Hong Kong, needs to be brightened up to reach 80 percent of the desired effect. There are two action plans under investigation. The first one is to brighten up with materials already available on the surface of the moon. The other one is to smooth over a portion of the moon's surface to bring about the same effect. This is to increase the possibility of having more sunlight reflected onto Earth, making the sky brighter on a global scale.
| JPC Monthly Newsletter | |
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