The New York Times did mention Geoenginerring in its coverage of NAS reports<http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/19/19greenwire-national-academy-of-sciences-urges-swift-us-ac-95280.html>but not in the same vein...
While proposals to fight climate change by geoengineering are gaining steam as a potential stopgap in case emissions cuts fail to stave off dangerous climate change, the science academy's analyses say there is limited research on the feasibility or risk of implementing one of the most-discussed approaches. Solar radiation management techniques -- which seek to limit warming by increasing the amount of sunlight reflected into space by increasing cloud cover or placing reflective particles or mirrors into the upper atmosphere -- "all involve considerable risk and potential for unintended ... side effects," the analyses conclude. Manu On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 10:17 AM, Ken Caldeira < [email protected]> wrote: > Folks, > > I am surprised that the section on Solar Radiation Management the National > Academy's "Advancing the Science of Climate Change" report has received > almost no comment in this group or in the media. > > This is the first time in 18 years that the National Academies have weighed > in on geoengineering, and they do so by calling for research into > geoengineering and there is nary a mention in the press. The National > Academies call for research into solar radiation management and everyone > treats it as "ho-hum, what else is new?". > > (Eli Kintisch was an exception with a short post in ScienceInsider: > http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/05/national-academy-report-calls-fo.html) > > > I find it amazing that the US National Academies call for research into > geoengineering options and it is met with a yawn. Have we come to the point > where nearly everybody (except those involved in the CBD process) thinks it > is obvious this research is necessary? > > I think we have reached an important new milestone. Researching solar > radiation management has ceased to be controversial (although field testing > and deployment no doubt continues to be so). > > Comments? > > Best, > > Ken > > PS. Here is an extract. > > However, the various SRM proposals and their consequences need to be > examined, as long as such research does not replace or reduce research on > fundamental understanding of climate change or other approaches to limiting > climate change or adapting to its impacts. Some key SRM-related research > needs, discussed in Chapter 15, include the following: > > - Improve understanding of the physical potential and technical > feasibility of SRM and other geoengineering approaches. > > > - Evaluate the potential consequences of SRM approaches on other > aspects of the Earth system, including ecosystems on land and in the > oceans. > > > - Develop and evaluate systems of governance that would provide a model > for how to decide whether, when, and how to intentionally intervene in the > climate system. > > > - Measure and evaluate public attitudes and develop approaches that > effectively inform and engage the public in decisions regarding SRM. > > > > > > On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 9:26 AM, Ken Caldeira < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> *See attached report summary from "Advancing the Science of Climate >> Change" + sections on Solar Radiation Management* >> >> *http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12782* >> Advancing the Science of Climate Change >> [image: Book Cover] <http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12782#toc> >> >> Status: Prepublication Available >> >> Size: 506 pages, 7 x 10 >> >> Publication Year:2010 >> >> *Authors:* >> America's Climate Choices: Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate >> Change; National Research Council >> ** >> >> ***------------------------------ >> * >> >> *Prepublication - What is it?* >> An uncorrected copy, or prepublication, is an uncorrected proof of the >> book. >> >> ___________________________________________________ >> Ken Caldeira >> >> Carnegie Institution Dept of Global Ecology >> 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305 USA >> >> [email protected] >> http://dge.stanford.edu/DGE/CIWDGE/labs/caldeiralab >> +1 650 704 7212; fax: +1 650 462 5968 >> >> >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<geoengineering%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
