-
Can we safely use geoengineering approaches to help cool the planet?
Posted on August 25th, 2009Categorized as Other Tagged as carbon, emission control, geoengineering, global warming
How to Vote:
You need to log in or register in order to vote.
We may need to try to experiment with certain geoenginnering approaches to stave off catastrophic global heating. This can buy us time to implement carbon emissions reductions to avert the worst effects of catastrophic climate change. Obstacles: We cannot fully predict the outcomes with present knowledge, though we know that some approaches are less wise than others.
-
Are there scientifically and politically viable ways to counter-act the most serious consequences of human-induced climate change (i.e., loss of the Arctic, diversion of storm tracks, intensification of weather extremes, acidification of the environment, etc.) for at least the several decades of peak climate change that are inevitable even in the face of aggressive international action? How much more intensive would the impacts and counter-acting actions have to be if international action is delayed for several decades?
Posted on August 14th, 2009Categorized as Climate, Interdisciplinary Tagged as climate change, counter-acting actions, fossil fuel, geoengineering, mitigation
How to Vote:
You need to log in or register in order to vote.
With fossil fuels providing about 80% of global energy, it is going to take decades to decarbonize the energy system even with aggressive mitigation. As a result, it is virtually inevitable that the warming will head well past 2 C, leading to significant and likely irreversible impacts to climate, the environment, sea level, and acidification. The only potential way to keep the increase in global average temperature increase below 2 C (especially as SO2 emissions and aerosols decrease) and to limit some of the most severe impacts (e.g., to save the Arctic) is going to be to take counter-acting actions (often called geoengineering), We must determine if the potential to take such actions is scientifically justifiable, environmentally effective, and societally and politically acceptable–if research proves this so, we should be preparing to start soon to offset each year’s warming influence and perhaps take the climate back several decades; if not, we need to redouble and redouble our mitigation efforts.
-
When (and how do we decide) are we at a climatic point where earth system engineering becomes appropriate and necessary?
Posted on August 29th, 2009Categorized as Climate, Earth System, Social Science Tagged as adaptation, geoengineering, mitigation
How to Vote:
You need to log in or register in order to vote.
Increasingly researchers and politicians are beginning to discuss earth system engineering methods as an important option in a suite of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Extensive scientific research is required before the political consensus can be developed. This is not an optimistic decision, but the necessary background research would do much to make the decision informed.
