It would be interesting to know exactly how the Swedish environmental groups consider the SCoPEx’s proposed tests are fundamentally incompatible with the precautionary principle and in breach of international norms. I suspect the latter is likely to be referring to the 2010 CBD COP decision X(33)(8)(w).
Chris. On Monday, February 8, 2021 at 3:21:28 PM UTC Andrew Lockley wrote: > > > https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/08/solar-geoengineering-test-flight-plan-under-fire-over-environmental-concerns-aoe?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&__twitter_impression=true&s=03 > > Balloon test flight plan under fire over solar geoengineering fears > Swedish environmental groups warn test flight could be first step towards > the adoption of a potentially “dangerous, unpredictable, and unmanageable” > technology > > The age of extinction is supported by > Band, Wyss and Oak Foundations > About this content > Patrick Greenfield > @pgreenfielduk > Mon 8 Feb 2021 06.30 GMT > Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email > A proposed scientific balloon flight in northern Sweden has attracted > opposition from environmental groups over fears it could lead to the use of > solar geoengineering to cool the Earth and combat the climate crisis by > mimicking the effect of a large volcanic eruption. > > In June, a team of Harvard scientists is planning to launch a > high-altitude balloon from Kiruna in Lapland to test whether it can carry > equipment for a future small-scale experiment on radiation-reflecting > particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. > > > An independent advisory committee will rule on whether to approve the > balloon test flight by 15 February. Swedish environmental groups have > written to the government and the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) to voice > their opposition. > > In the letters, seen by the Guardian, organisations including the Swedish > Society for Nature Conservation, Greenpeace Sweden and Friends of the Earth > Sweden said that while the balloon flight scheduled for June does not > involve the release of particles, it could be the first step towards the > adoption of a potentially “dangerous, unpredictable, and unmanageable” > technology. > > Stratospheric aerosols are a key component of solar geoengineering > technology that some have proposed as a plan B for controlling the Earth’s > temperature if the climate crisis makes conditions intolerable and > governments do not take sufficient action. > > > Studies have found that widespread adoption of solar geoengineering could > be inexpensive and safer than some fear. But critics argue the consequences > of its use are not well understood and stratospheric aerosol injections > (SAI) on a large scale could damage the ozone layer, cause heating in the > stratosphere and disrupt ecosystems. > > Harvard professor Frank Keutsch, who leads the research group hoping to > conduct the SCoPEx – stratospheric controlled perturbation experiment – > said he shared many of the environmentalists’ concerns. He said the > research could help scientists better understand the potential risks of > solar geoengineering, if the experiments are allowed to go ahead. > > “The risk of not doing research on this outweighs the risk of doing this > research,” Keutsch told the Guardian, offering to speak to the Swedish > environmental groups about the issues they have raised. > > > “I’m really worried about the world we are heading towards. For me, that > is a reason to do research on solar radiation management. Climate change is > a problem of profound size and potentially profound impact on humanity. I > think we should be considering all kinds of options because it’s unlikely > that there is going to be a silver bullet that will fix everything. We need > to be considering all options and we need to do research on them.” > > So far the technology is at a theoretical stage. It would replicate the > effect of sulphur dioxide particles released in volcanic eruptions; these > linger in the Earth’s stratosphere and reflect solar radiation. Particles > from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 cooled > global temperatures by around 0.6C for 15 months. > > The Harvard researchers hope SCoPEx will advance solar geoengineering > models and improve understanding of the technology’s potential risks and > benefits through small-scale experiments on aerosols of calcium carbonate > and other substances about 12 miles (20km) above the Earth’s surface. > > > The scientists said they would abide by the ruling of the board, and the > advisory group told the Guardian that any experiment involving a release of > particles would require a broader review, including engagement with Swedish > civil society. > > The letter to Per Bolund, the Swedish minister for environment and > climate, from the environmental groups, reads: “While the first > stratospheric flight proposed for Kiruna intends to test the balloon and > gondola equipment, the stated purpose of the flight is to prepare for the > release of aerosols into the stratosphere later in the year. > > Top scientists warn of 'ghastly future of mass extinction' and climate > disruption > “Since the goal of the initial flight is to enable the subsequent release > of particles, the social and environmental impacts of this test cannot be > evaluated in isolation from the overall purpose of the SCoPEx project. The > balloon flight must be viewed as integral to the project’s intention of > conducting open-air testing and particle releases. > > > “We appeal to the Swedish government to oppose the SSC’s involvement with > SCoPEx’s proposed tests, as they are fundamentally incompatible with the > precautionary principle, in breach of international norms, and inconsistent > with Sweden’s own climate policy framework as well as its reputation as an > international climate leader.” > > They go on to argue that: “SAI is a technology with the potential for > extreme consequences, and stands out as dangerous, unpredictable, and > unmanageable. There is no justification for testing and experimenting with > technology that seems to be too dangerous to ever be used.” > > Raymond Pierrehumbert, a University of Oxford physicist and specialist on > climate dynamics, called for the establishment of an international body to > govern geoengineering experiments. Pierrehumbert said widespread adoption > of the technology would be a “Damocles sword” over humanity. > > > “If we don’t actually reduce our CO2 emissions to nearly zero, because of > the multimillennial lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere, each year that goes > on, you’ll have more CO2, which gives you more of a warming force which has > to be counteracted by an even larger amount of geoengineering. > > “You go into this death spiral, where you try to keep the Earth habitable > in the face of ever-increasing CO2 and set ourselves up for a bigger and > bigger risk of catastrophe.” > > The Swedish government did not provide comment to the Guardian. > > An SSC spokesperson said: “The flight will only be conducted provided that > it is compliant with national and international regulations. The process to > find out if this flight is legally compliant and ethically appropriate is > ongoing. As of today we don’t know whether there will be a flight or not. > > > “SSC provides services and infrastructure for sounding rocket and balloon > launches, carrying many different scientific experiments within various > fields. The purpose of this flight is to test technical equipment, it is > not an active experiment.” > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/f5fb4f26-0e2f-4216-9377-d8b3e1ea7c74n%40googlegroups.com.
