Dear Diana, Looking at your website immediately reminded me of a global warming deniers group. Your group is perhaps even more harmful considering the times and present circumstances. Sure we all want greenhouse gases to be under control but that just is not happening soon.
Please edit your website quickly. Sincerely, Oliver Wingenter On Apr 14, 6:41 pm, Andrew Lockley <andrew.lock...@gmail.com> wrote: > Diana, > As an independent observer to this debate (although a self-confessed geoeng > fan), I am extremely concerned by your reply. Your organisation's campaign > has (in my opinion) been inflammatory and has sought to polarise the debate > into ''geoeng bad' and 'mitigation good'. Many other environmental > organisations have fallen into this trap, too. > > We should take a step back and look at the science. All the evidence of > which I am aware suggests that, even if emissions were to stop overnight, we > would still see serious and possibly catastrophic consequences from global > warming. I suggest that it would be extremely foolish if, without proper > research or argument, we were to turn our backs on any technology that may > help prevent this terrible damage. > > Let me assure you that I have come across few if any voices in the geoeng > community who see the practice as a 'quick fix' which will allow us to > consume willy-nilly. In fact: we as a body normally shout loudly about the > dangers of global warming and the folly of continued emissions. I contest > that we propose our solutions out of quiet terror and desperation, rather > than as a result of some kind of technocratic self-indulgence or a > conspiracy against moderation and restraint. > > You will find many friends here in your call for transparency and regulation > of the discipline. However, by stirring up a rabble in opposition to the > whole field, you risk throwing not only the baby, but also most of the > bathroom fittings as well as the bathwater. > > History will not thank the environmental movement if it denies humanity the > chance to avoid catastrophe. I invite you, therefore, to moderate your > campaign. In my view, ETC should be calling for transparency, regulation > and research; and ceasing its apparently unscientific ideology against > geoeng. You will find many friends here if you clearly and publicly > recognise the subtleties of this field, and the difficult choices that > surround its responsible development. > > I invite you to draw a line under ETC's previous public stance, which has > resulted in your organisation stoking ill-informed hysteria. I invite you > instead to become a 'critical friend' of the geoengineering community. We > need all the intelligent criticism we can get. > > A > > 2009/4/14 Diana Bronson <dianabron...@gmail.com> > > > > > Dear Stephen, > > > Thank you for your reaction and apologies for not responding the first > > time you wrote. I must have missed that email and I cannot find it on > > the list-archive. Please be assured no slight was intended. > > > Thank you also for the invitation to identify the negative impacts of > > what you are doing -- we are a small group of researchers (non- > > scientists) and we are > > trying to assess these technologies as they are developed -- although > > the pace of development is so rapid it is impossible for a small group > > like ETC Group to keep up to date on all of them. We very much rely > > on the work of scientists we work with and the knowledge of the > > communities who are directly impacted by these technologies to develop > > our own analysis and priorities. > > > While ETC group does focus on emerging technologies and we have done > > so for 30 years (formerly as RAFI, seewww.etcgroup.org), we do not do > > so because "we enjoy the protest". We do it because it is important > > for technologies to be independently monitored, to expose the > > commercial interests behind them, to encourage public debate and > > appropriate oversight, to alert communities to the economic and > > ecological dangers that they might pose, and, when we think they are > > dangerous, to campaign against them. This is, for example, what we > > did with genetically modified crops and more specifically still with > > Monsanto's terminator seed, which we, along with many partners around > > the world, successfully got banned. We believe that the Terminator, > > a seed conceived to be sterile, posed a serious threat to any form of > > sustainable and fair agricultural production and while it was > > technically feasible, and very profitable to some, it was a Bad Idea. > > Some geo-engineering proposal are like that too. > > > We have detailed and critical assessments of some geo-engineering > > technologies such as ocean fertilization. Others, such as your > > proposal to whiten clouds over vast expanses of ocean, we are becoming > > more familiar with as information becomes more accessible. Our goal > > however is not to challenge people we may disagree with on the details > > of their science. > > Rather, our goal is look at the bigger picture. We completely > > share your alarm and sense of urgency over climate change, however we > > do not think the solution to the problems we face is likely to reside > > primarily in technology. Rather, climate change, ocean > > acidification, industrial agriculture, species extinction, > > deforestation, poverty and hunger are related problems, intricately > > related to the growing inequalities between and within states. Our > > critique of science is never solely on scientific grounds, although > > we do sometimes contest science on its own terms. > > > As you will see if you read our report, Gambling with Gaia > > (http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pub_id=608 > > ), or our more recent submission to the Royal > > Society(http://www.etcgroup.org/en/materials/publications.html?pub_id=736 > > ) or our many press releases, our concerns around geo-engineering are > > really about who controls the technology? Who decides when it is to > > be deployed? When shall large-scale real-world experiments take > > place? Will such technologies in any way help those who are expected > > to be hurt the most by global warming? What say do people have before > > they are deployed ? Where can people voice their views? What > > international agency will begin to take some leadership on the > > critical question of governance of geo-engineering? Is all the noise > > about geo-engineering just letting governments off the hook for > > failing so dismally to curtail fossil fuel use? Are such technologies > > liable to be deployed unilaterally -- with multilateral impacts? > > > As you know, scientists like yourself have an incredible > > responsibility that goes with the power of knowledge. I have heard > > that you are planning a cloud whitening experiment in the Faro > > Islands. I am not sure if this is true and how soon this experiment > > is to get off the > > ground. But here are the types of questions ETC Group would like to > > ask: > > > What measures have you taken to inform people > > who may be affected? > > How do you anticipate negative impacts? > > Have you looked into the consequences of reduced or increased > > rainfall in > > indirectly affected communities? > > Have you looked at impacts on > > biodiversity? on marine life? > > Is this technology linked to carbon offsets in any > > way? Will it be so in the future? > > Who is funding the experiment? > > Have any relevant international bodies been informed? > > > This is not at all an exhaustive list but those are the types of > > questions we think should be answered > > long before any real-world experiment is authorized. > > > Once again, thanks for commenting on our press release. ETC Group > > welcomes this kind of dialogue -- we'd like to broaden it! > > > Best regards, > > > Diana Bronson --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to geoengineering@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to geoengineering+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
