Geoengineering seminar

Geoengineering: an insurance policy for Earth? Tim Kruger 31 March 2010

The Problem Greenhouse gas concentration stabilisation level (ppm CO 2 -eq) 4

The Problem 5

What can we do?
Reduce emissions
Use less energy
Use less carbon-intense energy
Capture emissions before they get into the atmosphere
Reducing emissions is necessary – indeed essential – but it may not be sufficient
We may need to turn the clock back on climate change

What is geoengineering?
The deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to address climate change
Geoengineering as airbag:
You never want to use it
It will be pretty unpleasant if you do
But, if you have to, you are grateful you have it
The time to design it is before you are skidding on the ice

Geoengineering comes in two flavours
Solar Radiation Management (SRM) – reflecting a small fraction of the Sun’s heat back into space
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) – reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Solar Radiation Management
Mirrors in space
Stratospheric aerosols
Cloud whitening
Surface albedo

Carbon Dioxide Removal
Air capture (artificial trees)
Ocean fertilisation
Biochar
Afforestation
Enhanced weathering

SRM vs CDR
SRM – quick, cheap, incomplete, riskier
CDR – slow, expensive, complete, safer

An assessment of geoengineering options Source: “Geoengineering the climate. Science, governance and uncertainty” (Royal Society, 2009)

CaCO 3  CaO + CO 2 CaO + H 2 O  Ca(OH) 2 Options Sequestration Enhanced Oil Recovery Growing Algae Ca(OH) 2 + 1.7CO 2  Ca 2+ + 1.4HCO 3 - + 0.3CO 3 2- + 0.3H 2 O CO 2 + H 2 O H 2 CO 3 H + + HCO 3 - 2H + + CO 3 2- The Lime Industry CO 2 Options Sequestration in the Ocean 6

Ca(OH) 2 + 1.7CO 2  Ca 2+ + 1.4HCO 3 - + 0.3CO 3 2- + 0.3H 2 O

Moral hazard
There is a concern that if people believe that there is a solution to climate change that they will not reduce emissions
In fact, if there is a safe and robust way to remove carbon dioxide then there is a moral obligation to do so

The Oxford Principles: House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee
Geoengineering to be regulated as a public good
Public participation in decision making
Disclosure of geoengineering research & open publication of results
Independent assessment of impacts
Governance arrangements to be clear before deployment

A racket is a business that makes money by selling a solution to a problem that the business itself created

Conclusion
Research into geoengineering is essential as an insurance policy, lest we fail to reduce emissions sufficiently
Geoengineering is very likely technically feasible, but we do not know what the side-effects will be
The social aspects – ethical, political, economic, legal and governance – are far more complicated than the technical ones

Thank you www.oxfordgeoengineering.org www.cquestrate.com

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Geoengineering seminar

by Blake Lapthorn on Mar 31, 2010

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Geoengineering seminar — Presentation Transcript