WASHINGTON (AP) – The president’s new science adviser said Wednesday that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing radical technologies to cool Earth’s air.
John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geoengineering the climate is being discussed. One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort.
“It’s got to be looked at,” he said. “We don’t have the luxury of taking any approach off the table.”
Holdren outlined several “tipping points” involving global warming that could be fast approaching. Once such milestones are reached, such as complete loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic, it increases chances of “really intolerable consequences,” he said.
Twice in a half-hour interview, Holdren compared global warming to being “in a car with bad brakes driving toward a cliff in the fog.”
He’s not wrong about how dire the situation is. I question whether taking radical actions without even considering a nice simple carbon tax that we’ve already seen would work would be a good idea.
I don’t think we know all of the consequences of such actions. We do, however, know how to reduce carbon emissions with proven technologies and a simple tax on carbon. We should at least begin doing so before trying such radical approaches.
#15 – Paddy-tr-0-ll, rolling on the laughing floor drooling his ass off
Boot to the head!
Learn how to make a point as well as how to stay on topic please.
What are you going to do? Stick a huge Air Conditioner in the hole of the Ozone layer?
#22 Are you actually an Orangutan that has mastered the inter-tube-webz? I wouldn’t be surprised. . .
No, the two most prevalent geo-engineering theories amongst -humans- are: Spreading a reflective particulate haze in the high atmosphere; the effect would be to keep a lot of IR radiation from ever getting into the system, thus reducing overall temperatures. This was the NASA plan I was referring to; the delivery system could be as simple as mixing aluminum or barium into jet fuel and having airliners release it. The second proposed method would be dumping iron into the oceans, which would (in theory) greatly increase phytoplankton growth. These phytoplankton would integrate carbon into their bodies, which then drift to the bottom of the ocean, effectively sequestering the carbon.
I’ve heard of people proposing ‘artificial trees’ and the like, but the benefits of putting up fake plastic trees over -real- trees has never made much sense to me.
Here’s another great idea from the O’mama man:
http://techdirt.com/articles/20090407/2327374427.shtml
Climate engineering efforts certainly feels desperate but I’m glad somebody is thinking about it.
I’m sure science is also thinking about the possibility of an asteroid heading in this direction. Very similar line of thinking here.
Ideally we need someone with superhuman powers (like Moses parting the seas) but I believe he’s not with us anymore.
#21 Misanthropic Scott.
I absolutely agree. Spraying aerosols into the atmosphere really doesn’t solve anything. Talk about a planet sized band-aid!
And of course it doesn’t do anything about the acidification of the oceans, a problem at least at big as warming.
#24 – Paddy-tr-0-ll,
Even farther off topic this time. And now, you’re citing a blog as if it were a primary and reliable source of anything.
Have another boot to the head.
Guess I’m just in a head booting mood today.
And to think we were worried about Global Cooling back in the 70s. LOL
http://tinyurl.com/cfpzks
If someone wants to experiment with the atmosphere why not use Mars as a test bed?
Obomba doesn’t know how many states we have or that Austrians don’t speak Austrian (what a dumbass).
Now some of you want our teleprompter nimrod to modify the climate? That’s some good thinking.
Artificially increasing the earth’s albedo is not a new idea. It’s been tossed around for many years. So far it’s always been rejected as a bad idea.
The Russians have *TRIED* the iron in the ocean.
It raised the plankton, then, all the predators came up, had a huge feast.
Not a single gram of C02 was sequestered.
This was in the news last week. FAIL.
Li, I think the plankton idea has been tested and it failed. Artificial trees may have something to do with the fact that planting a tree does not remove carbon from the air, as it will eventually die and send back the carbon.
I suspect many environmentalists would be against a solution that does not involve pain.
# 31 Mark Derail said, “It raised the plankton, then, all the predators came up, had a huge feast.”
Well then, just kill all the animals that eat plankton 1st. Duh!
#32 Ah, but if you harvest the wood and use it to build things that will last a few hundred years (high quality furniture, wood paneling, artwork ect.) all that carbon is sequestered for that period of time. It’s not like you just grow the forest and then burn it down!
missy Scott seems to have this trolling thing down to a “science”
Global cooling has already begun, obama wants to claim credit for it.
Obama Broadcast Media will proclaim 24/7 “The Dear Leader saves the planet”
THE NEXT PERSON I HEAR POO POOING THE VAST MAJORITY OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE, I WILL PERSONALLY DOPE SLAP!
I am sick and tired of hearing people say that the climate isn’t changing, or humans are not responsible for climate change, or any other bovine fecal matter like that.
The only “scientists” who deny that climate change is taking place, are the ones funded by the corporations that are causing the climate change. Wake up sheeple!
I am kind of glad that OUR President is taking a proactive approach for a change. The last resident of the White House was in a state of denial on this issue.
BTW — You all know what Paddy-0′s last name is, don’t you? In case you haven’t figured it out, it’s FURNITURE!
# 37 Rabble Rouser said, “THE NEXT PERSON I HEAR POO POOING THE VAST MAJORITY OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE, I WILL PERSONALLY DOPE SLAP!”
Sounds familiar, I think Torquemada would say something similar to the people back then who wouldn’t parrot what the “priests” said… LOL
#39 Do you have any concept of what the Spanish Inquisition -did-?! Get back to me when they propose stuffing climate change deniers into an iron maiden.