Scientists all over the world are looking for solutions to global warming. At this point, thinking outside the box is really the only place left to go.

But drying out the stratosphere? Let’s take a look at why it might actually work. At least, to a degree.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explained their strategy for “intentional stratospheric dehydration,” or ISD, which they believe will help counteract the harmful warming effects of carbon dioxide.

The method would work to a degree, because water vapor is the most abundant greenhouse gas in our atmosphere. If we dried it out, the atmosphere could cool and counteract the harmful warming effects.

The ISD approach involves “seeding” the wettest parts of the stratosphere with small “icy nuclei” particles to increase ice formation that would then fall to the ground like hail.

They propose to use high-altitude aircraft to soak up water in the atmosphere.

In a new study, scientists explain how “targeting only a small fraction of air particles in the region would be sufficient to achieve substantial removal of water.”

They say this means it wouldn’t take a whole lot of seeding endeavors to achieve the desired effect.

They’ve also pinpointed an atmospheric “sweet spot,” the Western Pacific Cold Point.

“In terms of effectiveness, the Western Pacific Cold Point is the ideal ‘sweet spot.’ That’s why our focus was there.”

All of this said, this method is still a long way from being usable for combatting climate change in the real world.

The researchers admitted as much in an interview with USAToday, stating they “don’t have a plan or the technology to do this.”

They also want to be clear that this would not make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things.

“Drying the stratosphere would help cool the planet only to a small degree.”

So, maybe it’s not something the best and brightest would pursue in the long run.

I do think it’s clear, though, that no option is too wild to make it onto the table – which can only mean we are well and truly desperate.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read a story that reveals Earth’s priciest precious metal isn’t gold or platinum and costs over $10,000 an ounce!