US answer to global warming: smoke and giant space mirrors

[Briar]

US answer to global warming: smoke and giant space mirrors


Washington urges scientists to develop ways to reflect sunlight as 'insurance'

David Adam, environment correspondent

The US government wants the world's scientists to develop technology to block sunlight as a last-ditch way to halt global warming, the Guardian has learned. It says research into techniques such as giant mirrors in space or reflective dust pumped into the atmosphere would be "important insurance" against rising emissions, and has lobbied for such a strategy to be recommended by a major UN report on climate change, the first part of which will be published on Friday.

The US has also attempted to steer the UN report, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), away from conclusions that would support a new worldwide climate treaty based on binding targets to reduce emissions - as sought by Tony Blair. It has demanded a draft of the report be changed to emphasise the benefits of voluntary agreements and to include criticisms of the Kyoto Protocol, the existing treaty which the US administration opposes.

The final IPCC report, written by experts from across the world, will underpin international negotiations to devise a new emissions treaty to succeed Kyoto, the first phase of which expires in 2012. World governments were given a draft of the report last year and invited to comment.

The US response, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, says the idea of interfering with sunlight should be included in the summary for policymakers, the prominent chapter at the front of each IPCC report. It says: "Modifying solar radiance may be an important strategy if mitigation of emissions fails. Doing the R&D to estimate the consequences of applying such a strategy is important insurance that should be taken out. This is a very important possibility that should be considered."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1999966,00.html

[Erika]

1. Bush corporatism could care less about global warming

It's all about the fast buck to them and the future be damned.

[sam sarrha]

2. maybe some smoke from droping an atomic bomb on Iran would help.. thats the Ticket..!

[TheMadMonk]

3. It's not as silly an idea as it seems.

Don't get me wrong, curbing emissions has to be the ultimate long term solutions.

However, even if the energy infrastructure of the world were to become totally carbon free overnight, it will still take decades to recover.

Solar mirrors and/or reflective particulates int the atmosphere hold the potential to give near instant relief. Presuming of course we have the wherewithal to get them into place.

Furthermore, solar mirrors could be used to create hot and cold poles at judicious locations which would allow us to steer storms such as Katrina away from populated areas, or rob them of their strength. And in the longer term as we refine our control, it would become possible to steer rainfall (in just the right quantities) to the places where it is needed.

And while such systems, in the wrong hands, could be used to wreak considerable havoc, their fragility all but negates such risks.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Nothing a little nuclear winter won't solve

they just might be that stupid