Hello all,
I would like to start a discussion on geoengineering. What are everyone's thoughts on the role it should play in avoiding climate catastrophe from both anthropogenic and natural causes?
As a proponent of both science and science fiction, I have always been very interested in methods we could employ as a species to ensure our long-term survival on this little spinning rock. I believe we shold be spending a lot more time and money on geoengineering testing and research.
Here are some of my thoughts, succintly enumerated:
- Our priority, first and foremost, should absolutely be decarbonisation, as atmospheric CO2 is undoubtably the primary driver of anthropogenic global warming. But:
- Progress on decarbonisation has been quite disappointing, if not alarming. There is a substantial chance that enough decarbonisation may not occur in time to prevent catastrophic climate change. And:
- Anthropogenic climate change is not the only climate change we need to prepare for. Natural climate change, just like COVID19, is a certainty at some point, and will likely be catastrophic. And:
- For geoengineering to work, it would require decades of testing, at least. From what I can gather, it would be impossible to deploy most geoengineering technologies (solar radiation management, ocean carbon sequestration) successfully ad hoc, or at least without decades of testing data (unless AI becomes involved, but that's another kettle of fish) and time for them to take effect. So:
- Deployment and testing of geoengineering technologies needs to start ASAP or now. But:
- We currently live in a very fractured world and there are tremendous ethical issues at play. Right now we can't agree on climate change measures for 2050, and all our attention is on the pandemic - albeit rightly so.
So... what are your thoughts on this?
Ben