A new report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers has detailed how Geo-Engineering “could provide the world with extra time to de-carbonise the global economy”.

The BBC has interpreted the report as a claim that “without geo-engineering it will be impossible to avoid dangerous climate change”. Having read the original report I can confidently it makes no such claim. It simply simply lists it as a 3rd option to prevent climate change.

I’m not against the idea of Geo-Engineering, far from it. However, I feel that there are more direct options we have to try first. We are living beyond our means, unseasonably abusing the worlds resources. A climate “patch” will not solve this in the long. And Geo-Engineering comes with own share of risks. No one can be sure how the world will react to any sort of climate altering, it is essentially how we got in this mess in the first place.

The new report however suggests some less radical ideas on how to reduce C02 levels in the atmosphere.

• Artificial Trees: Research is underway into building machines capable of mimicking trees by removing CO2 from the atmosphere. The CO2 is the buried in Carbon Capture Storage (CCS)
• Algae-coated buildings: Algae naturally absorbs CO2 and strips of algae can be fitted to the outside of buildings and then harvested from the surfaces and used as bio-fuel.
• Reflective buildings: Reducing solar radiation will help reduce temperatures. Making surfaces hit by the suns rays more reflective will help less radiation be absorbed.

So is it to late to avoid dangerous climate change without resorting to Geo-Engineering. I think it probably is, just because its going to be a more popular to choose it over making everyone change the way we live our lives.

Climate Change to Prevent Climate Change?

At the end of last year, a group of British politicians called upon a selection of climate change scientists to discuss Geoengineering. This is the idea that to save the planet from climate change, we must artificially alter the temperature on purpose. Such possibilities include firing fine dust into the atmosphere to deflect the suns rays, or even launching clouds of mirrors into space.

Good news at least that the government are looking into more options, although probably prompted by the fact that the current recommended way of combating climate change, reducing CO2 emissions is inconvenient for them, the nations businesses and transport.  However it is a extremely risky and experimental option. After all it is our own actions messing around with the climate that got us into this mess in the first place.

The politicians and scientists all agreed that since cuts to carbon emissions will likely fall short we need to be exploring “Plan B”