Scientists are entertaining the idea of manipulating how and where the sun falls on the Earth. Their goal is to create conditions similar to volcanic temperature reductions by scattering chemicals into the atmosphere to block and reflect sunlight back into space. If this worked, it would buy time for us to start building the necessary infrastructure for renewable energy to become more mainstream and reduce the CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
But this comes with great risks to the environment and no guarantee there won’t be unexpected consequences to our way of life. As temperatures continue their meteoric rise and the associated weather phenomena get more dangerous, violent, and destructive, the question has become transformed from whether we should engage in geo-engineering, to what kind of geoengineering testing we should begin first.
As the clock ticks down with less than two years before the 1.5 degree Celsius barrier is breached, it is becoming more clear humanity MUST do something. What are the choices and the consequences of trying to imitate a volcanic event? Could we cause the equivalent of a nuclear winter?
Would these toxic chemicals used to create the equivalent of a solar mirror back to space, have environmental consequences? Should we create geoengineering effects that are successful, would big business and the military stall on their commitment to climate mitigation and renewable energy development if we are able to slow the increasing temperatures? Geo-engineering is going to require the interaction and support of the entire world? Will we be able to get a consensus on how much geoengineering is too much and can we agree on how to begin in time?
Meanwhile, biodiversity in every country is under attack as weather, heat, invasive species, ocean temperatures and dead zones proliferate. Can we mobilize to protect the environment at the same time as we attempt to master geo-engineering sciences?
What plans should we create to support our planet’s continued and favorable biodiversity while we experiment with large-scale geoengineering? Will we be able to create a Ministry of the Future dedicated to putting people to work on more conventional ways to protect the planet from our greed? In two weeks, on Climate Change by the Elements, with Thaddeus Howze and Carol Bluestein.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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