DISSENSION OVER GEO-ENGINEERING MEASURES
23 June 2011
Papers leaked from inside the Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) before a meeting in Lima, Peru in a few days, show a range of proposed radical measures which include
Blasting sulphate aerosols in to the stratosphere to reflect sunlight into space.
Depositing massive quantities of iron filings into the oceans.
Bio-engineering crops to be a lighter colour to reflect sunlight.
Suppressing cirrus clouds.
Other measures to be discussed are orbiting giant mirrors in space to shield the Earth from the sun, spraying sea water into clouds to reflect sunlight away from the Earth, adding lime to oceans, and finding ways to suck green house gases out of the air and deposit heat into oceans.
More than 125 environment, development and human rights groups from 40 countries published a letter to Rajendri Pachauri, warning that the body had no mandate to consider the legality or political suitability of using geo-engineering. To quote "Geo –engineering in not a scientific question, but a political one. International peasant organisations, indigenous peoples and social movements have all expressed outright opposition to such measures as a false solution to the climate crisis".
The meeting has added weight, since Christiana Figueres, had of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, has said that geo-engineering might be necessary because emissions were still rising, and "We are getting into very risky territory."
Like the US Britain is strongly backing geo-engineering research, and has funded millions of pound towards it, including a Bristol University plan to develop a hose held up by balloons through which sulphates can be sent into the stratosphere
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