The challenge of climate change that now confronts mankind has one of two possible outcomes: we will either take a large step up or we will fall down. Humanity's dominion over the earth will end and this ending may well prove definitive or, on the other hand, we may develop a bold, new science that straddles the traditional boundaries of oceanography, meteorology, biology, geology and chemistry.
This new study --some call it geoengineering -- will have as its first object practical climate control and atmospheric management on a planetary level. These are the real stakes and the real terms of 'global warming'. A vivid article called "Re-engineering the Earth" in The Atlantic this month, reduces the themes of this new science to bite-sized chunks for novices like me.
Atlantic readers walk away from Graeme Wood's article knowing it is now financially possible for a single very rich man (or multinational corporation) to alter the meteorological character of our entire planet. All that's required is money and arrogance. In 2009, only money is in short supply.
A variety of experimental techniques -- some poisonous and silly, others alarmingly sensible -- have been invented to reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching our planet's surface. I favor the cheap and cheerful option of seeding the oceans' clouds since freshwater will be in short supply in the coming century. In any case, our ability to cool the planet is quickly becoming a vital issue due to the disappearance of polar ice and the acceleration of climate changes.
At the same Wood emphasizes the importance of feasible tricks like artificial trees to vacuum the carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere so that we can restore earth's fecundity in the hope that our grandchildren won't need massive geoengineering projects. I do hope he's right.
What he doesn't mention is that Pandora is already out of her box and the age of geoengineering is upon us. If we resort to global projects to rescue ourselves from the carbon summer, planetary engineering and its companion, ecopoesis, (the introduction of life to lifeless environments) will be part of the human toolbox as we fulfill our goal in the coming decade of reaching Mars with a manned flight. We will find it irresistible to view the barren landscape of Mars as an empty canvas onto which we paint cyanobacteria that will modify its atmosphere and make it more suitable for us.
So we are going to play God again in areas where we should tread very lightly. The promise, of course, is that we will end up with two worlds: our current garbage dump made hospitable after an extensive 'reno,' and a new one to which our children's children might escape if we ever got careless again.
The primary problem is not climate, but human made toxins and garbage, being created at three times the previous rate, without much regard for recycling these materials. We are rapidly becoming the garbage planet. There are counties in China filled with E-refuse - from all our computers, and electronic devices. The Chinese peck away at these human-made mountains, trying to extract something of value with hammers.
Bioengineering is probably another major consideration. Controlling fishing - to maintain fish stocks - is of paramount importance. Making oil synthetically, or by cooking materials in existing stratigraphic traps with bacteria - might be quite important to the world.
All we need to do to solve our energy problems forever is:
Rooftop solar for super cheap 3 cent per KWH electricity,
BioFuels particularly BioChar for fuels, energy, fertilizer and carbon sequestration, super cheap.
1.85 per peak watt! retail!
http://www.atensolar.com/14.html
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/solar_panels.htm
http://terrapretapot.org/
Trying to control nature is insanity.
http://greenteeth.blog.co.uk/2009/07/24/green-power-debate-milliband-vs-adonis-fuckwittery-of-the-first-order-6580884/
TERRAFORMING
:-)
Most of the folks can't seem to get past the moon let alone
considering Venus:)
Remember we seem to be living in a science illiterate universe at the moment:(
Ecopoesis is slightly more fanciful, I think, but it sidesteps the debate (which is pretty vicious at times). Because of this it let's you think of the thing in fresh terms starting with, 'what is it we might really be trying to do.' It is art or making (poesis) on a truly grand scale. Some people also call it planetary engineering just as America is sometimes called the United States. I can't see a problem with that. Pick your poison. A lot of people drink Scotch. My father was a scotch drinker who drank 'whiskey' because he didn't want to offend anyone or rule anything out.
Dr. R.D. Schuiling is one exponent of a CO2-removal method that is credibly cheap, i.e, not very cheap, but about right for the revenues that governments now take on oil and gas: pulverization and sequestration of olivine or a similar alkaline earth orthosilicate mineral.
Now, as to whether we should try to counter the already devastating effects our being here has on this planet, that's a valid question. What we can not do is to pretend that "treading lightly" is an option. The only question is if how the harm we are going to cause by trying to counter what we have done already will differ from the harm that we are going to cause by doing nothing different.