"Giant explosions" - sounds like the mid-20th-century thermonuclear
testing period... how about we don't go there...
Jonathan wrote:
This is the kind of thing I wish I'd thought of...
Sent to you by Jonathan via Google Reader:
Giant Explosions Are The Cheapest Way To Halt Climate Change, Say
Scientists [Strange Scenarios]
<http://io9.com/5459922/giant-explosions-are-the-cheapest-way-to-halt-climate-change-say-scientists>
via io9 <http://io9.com> by Annalee Newitz on 1/29/10
A recent report from a group of environmental scientists, published in
Nature, argues that cutting greenhouse emissions is much more
expensive than another option we have to halt global warming: Setting
of a mega-volcano that would coat atmosphere in nice, sun-blocking
ash. According to an article on the report in the /Telegraph/
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7090608/Simulated-volcanic-eruptions-to-block-sun.html>:
They called for governments to establish a multimillion-pound fund
for research into the simulated volcanoes and other
solar-radiation management techniques for shielding the Earth
against sunlight.
"The idea of deliberately manipulating Earth's energy balance to
offset human-driven climate change strikes many as dangerous
hubris," they wrote.
"Many scientists have argued against research on solar radiation
management, saying that developing the capability to perform such
tasks will reduce the political will to lower greenhouse gas
emissions. We think that the risks of not doing research outweigh
the risks of doing it."
They said the cost of solar radiation management was 100 times
lower than the price tag for cutting emissions to achieve the same
effect, raising the risk that small groups of nations or even
rogue states could act alone.
They wrote: "It is plausible that, after exhausting other avenues
to limit climate risks, such a nation might decide to begin a
gradual, well-monitored programme of deployment, even without any
international agreement on its regulation.
"In this case, one nation – which need not be a large and rich
industrialised country – could seize the initiative on global
climate, making it extremely difficult for other powers to
restrain it."
So let me get this straight. "Rogue states" are going to get fed up
with carbon taxes and instead create simulated volcanoes in order to
save the environment? That's a . . . strange scenario. I like it though.
<http://feeds.gawker.com/%7Eff/io9/full?a=7cGcakZwGGc:OQhtPBEyuv8:yIl2AUoC8zA>
<http://feeds.gawker.com/%7Eff/io9/full?a=7cGcakZwGGc:OQhtPBEyuv8:D7DqB2pKExk>
<http://feeds.gawker.com/%7Eff/io9/full?a=7cGcakZwGGc:OQhtPBEyuv8:V_sGLiPBpWU>
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