In the News – Giving up on Emissions Reduction, is Geo-Engineering the Way to Go on Climate Change Solutions?

So, you’ve changed your light bulbs, you wear a sweater in your house because you turned your thermostat down, you unplugged all your electronics that aren’t being used and you now take only  “5 minute showers.” The world seems safer already! Or does it? As you look down the street at your neighbor’s house, you watch in “climate change horror” as they “warm up their Hummer” before driving the 2 blocks to take their 16 year old to school (that’s because his “monster truck” has a flat!) Your other neighbor has  left all the lights on in his new 10,000 square ft McMansion, and you have heard rumors about plasma TV’s in all 8 bedrooms! So, are all your sacrifices worth it, or should we just turn to geo-engineering?

Geo-engineering is the stuff of “sci-fi movies and the future.” Or is it? Actually, there are scientists around the world currently working on schemes to address the consequences of global warming by “manipulating or adapting nature.” Some ideas being considered include:

1. Space Mirrors – a collection of trillions of tiny mirrors orbiting the earth, which would block solar radiation from reaching us.

2. Stratospheric Aerosols – distributing man made compounds into the upper atmosphere to reflect sunlight away from the earth; or basically simulating the effects of a giant volcanic eruption.

3. Fertilizing the Ocean – accelerating plankton growth, which would cause it to absorb carbon dioxide at an increased rate.

NO KIDDING, and these are only a few of the ideas and plans out there. Many scientists caution against these types of global experiments, as the big unknown will be how our earth will try to “counter” these events. But many credible, intelligent people feel we need to have an “ace up or sleeve” in case of a climate emergency that requires a drastic response.

The bottom line here is that there is a growing, creeping feeling of desperation around climate change challenges. If humankind isn’t going to be able to change consumption or development patterns enough, we need a more drastic action that will put a stop to run away climate change.

At Climate Mama, we still are hopeful that humankind will prove these naysayers wrong! What do you think?

Sincerely,

Climate Mama