Geoengineering Global Concerns
Geoengineering
Geoengineering refers to deliberate, large-scale interventions in the Earth's climate system to counteract the adverse effects of global warming.
Basically
In layman's terms this means placing a layer of a dusty type material similar to what erupts from volcanoes, high up in the sky.
Why?
Observations after large volcanic eruptions suggest they have an overall cooling effect upon the Earth's climate.
Types of Geoengineering
Solar Radiation Management (SRM) is a specific type of geoengineering which involves reflecting sunlight back into space in order to reduce the amount of solar energy absorbed by the Earth.
One of the most frequently discussed methods is the use of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI).
The concept underlying SAI is to inject tiny particles into the stratosphere to scatter a portion of the incoming sunlight, thereby cooling the Earth's surface.
This approach has been inspired by the cooling effect observed after large volcanic eruptions have released aerosols into the atmosphere.
Observations suggest a colossal volcanic eruption in 1815 led to what is known as the 1816 Year Without a Summer.
The primary cause of the Year Without a Summer was the Volcanic Eruption of 13,000ft high volcano Mount Tambora, on the island of Sumbawa, near Bali, Indonesia.
The Mount Tambora volcanic eruption took place in April 1815, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) ranking of 7, it was a colossal event and was one of the greatest eruptions in history.
"Causing a volcanic winter and average global temperatures to decrease by 0.4–0.7°C.
Summer temperatures in Europe were the coldest of any on record between the years of 1766 and 2000.
This resulted in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere." (Wikipedia)
VEI is a relative measure of explosiveness
Find out more about VEI online at
Geology.com
https://geology.com/stories/13/volcanic-explosivity-index/
Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_explosivity_index
There were other large volcanic eruptions that happened in the 7 years leading up to 1815.
Between 1808 and 1814 there were a number of other large volcanic eruptions around the globe. Each with a VEI ranking of 4 or more, these may have caused a ripple effect, which the 1815 Mount Tambora built upon leading to the 1816 Year Without a Summer.
1808
Southwestern Pacific Ocean VEI 6
1812
La Soufrière on Saint Vincent in the Caribbean/
1812
Awu in the Sangihe Islands in the Dutch East Indies
1813
Suwanosejima in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan
1814
Mayon in the Philippines
Geoengineering online at Britannica at
https://www.britannica.com/science/geoengineering
Britannica discusses the history of cloud-seeding, then looks at "Two fundamentally different approaches to the problem of global climate change have arisen...". The first approach "... Technologies that would increase the reflectance of incoming solar radiation, thus reducing the heating effect of sunlight upon the Earth's surface...". The second approach focuses on "... Proposing to remove CO2 from the air and store it in areas where it cannot interact with Earth's atmosphere."
Geoengineering techniques like SRM remains a highly controversial and complex topic.
Significant concerns and potential side effects include ethical implications, and the possibility of unintended and irreversible consequences. Such as regional climate disruptions, impacts on precipitation patterns, ozone layer depletion etc,.
Our planet has a natural biorhythm. Could this type of quick fix alter the natural seasonal changes, weather patterns, animal migrations and the ways in which all animal and plant life exist on Earth?
More importantly would these events be irreversible?
Is there really no other way?
- Ban Private jets only in emergencies.
- Tree farming on mass now!
- The Government could quickly implement a number of changes and incentives to reduce carbon emissions now, so why don't they?
- Where are the carpooling incentives for traveling to and from work and school?
- Where are the bans on short car journeys to schools? (*Except in certain circumstances like having to travel to 2 or 3 different schools*)
- Slow down the highest speed on motorways by 10mph and incentivise a much further braking distance than 2 seconds, reducing the overall number of times each vehicle needs to use their brakes.
- Online shopping and delivery systems need a complete overhaul. For example a courier should be sent out when a van full of items requires delivering in the same local area, and not before. If for any reason an item is required more quickly then a much higher surcharge should be added.
- The observed loss of high street shopping alongside the increase of service type stations, away from town centers that mostly only can be reached by vehicle journey.
- Teach people to grow vegetables and flowers at home and in community groups. Incentivise this by offering free seeds and seedlings and simple instructions.
- Offer everyone who has a garden big enough a free suitable tree or trees to plant.
- Incentivise farmers to plant even more trees around farming land and in cattle fields, offering natural animal shelter.
- Stop supermarkets transporting flowers. Only allow flowers to be grown and sold in local areas.
- Stop artificial turf and ban it now.
- Stop unnecessary large scale concrete driveways.
- Those who wish to place stones on driveways should be made to have many plants in pots around the edges.
- Incentivise water filter systems in every home, school and business to make tap water safer for drinking purposes, and to prevent the on mass sale of plastic bottles of water. Offer free drinking water fountains in public places.
These are only some things that quickly come to mind that would create massive potential benefits of reducing carbon emissions fast.
We should be sharing information and asking questions!
Does it seem natural to reflect heat back towards the Sun?
What impacts could this potentially have?
When these so-called reflective layers are not present in the stratosphere, will it mean other detrimental drastic sudden changes to our environments?
Would there be a need for continued regular maintenance of SRM to prevent abrupt warming if the intervention is suddenly stopped?
By
Toni Cairns July 2023.
abstractdistraxtions@gmail.com
https://abstractdistraxtionsconcerns.blogspot.com
More of my blog found at
https://abstractdistraxtions.blogspot.com
Other information about Geoengineering
What is geoengineering?
Following excerpts taken from 'Oxford Geoengineering Programme'
at Oxford University.
"Geoengineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change."
"SRM or Solar Geoengineering
SRM techniques aim to reflect a small proportion of the Sun’s energy back into space, counteracting the temperature rise caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which absorb energy and raise temperatures.
Some proposed techniques include:
Albedo enhancement.
Increasing the reflectiveness of clouds or the land surface so that more of the Sun’s heat is reflected back into space.
Space reflectors.
Blocking a small proportion of sunlight before it reaches the Earth.
Stratospheric aerosols.
Introducing small, reflective particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect some sunlight before it reaches the surface of the Earth.
Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) or Carbon Geoengineering
GGR techniques aim to remove carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, directly countering the increased greenhouse effect and ocean acidification.
Some proposed techniques include:
- Afforestation.
- Biochar.
- Bio-energy with carbon capture and sequestration.
- Ambient Air Capture.
- Ocean Fertilisation.
- Enhanced Weathering.
- Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement."
Full article online at
Oxford Geoengineering Programme
Is geoengineering happening in the UK?
"Last September, researchers in the UK launched a high-altitude weather balloon that released a few hundred grams of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, a potential scientific first in the solar geoengineering field, MIT Technology Review has learned." - James Temple 2023.
Website: MIT Technology Review
Article: Researchers launched a solar geoengineering test flight in the UK last fall
The experiment, largely designed to test equipment, took place despite deep concerns about the technology.
By James Temple archive page
March 1, 2023
Full article published online at
Website: MIT
Article: Study: Reflecting sunlight to cool the planet will cause other global changes
Solar geoengineering proposals will weaken extratropical storm tracks in both hemispheres, scientists find.
Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
Full article published by MIT online at
https://news.mit.edu/2020/reflecting-sunlight-cool-planet-storm-0602
Is there any other way to avoid Global catastrophic catastrophe?
"It’s becoming clear that we won’t cut carbon emissions soon enough to prevent catastrophic climate change. But there may be ways to cool the planet more quickly and buy us a little more time to shift away from fossil fuels." - James Temple 2019.
Full article published online at
Website: MIT Technology Review
Article: What is geoengineering—and why should you care?
As the threats of climate change grow, we’re all likely to hear more and more about the possibilities and dangers, of geoengineering. Here’s what it means.
By James Temple
August 9, 2019
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