Addressing the effects, not the causes, of climate change
Geo-engineers are proposing large scale global projects to reduce solar radiation. They want to force the oceans into absorbing more CO2 through “fertilization”, and they work on carbon sequestration and weather modification.
While most climate scientist left the Copenhagen Summit feeling gloomy about the lack of action to halt climate change, a small group felt emboldened. They are the geo-engineers who are proposing large scale global projects to reduce solar radiation by spreading sulphate aerosols into the atmosphere, placing sunshades into space or by whitening the clouds. They also want to force the oceans into absorbing more of the excess CO2 through “fertilization” by spreading urea, iron or phosphorous. And they work on carbon sequestration and weather modification. What seemed until recently a mad science fiction project is now gaining acceptance by corporations, politicians, the US Department of Energy, climate change deniers and funders.
Among the institutions where geoengineering research is being done are: Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Stanford University, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the German Max Planck Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Universities of Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh, UK – as well as labs and corporations in Canada, India, China, Australia and many other places.
The nonprofit civil society organization, the ETCGroup, has probably followed the issue of geoengineering more closely and over the longest period of time. At least that is the opinion of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. They commission the ETCGroup to write a pamphlet called “Retooling the Planet?” with an overview over and detailed critique of geoengineering. It came out in the Fall of 2009, and is freely available on their website ETCGroup.org. The ETC group has fundamental objections to geoengineering since it treats only the symptoms, not the causes of climate change and can be used as an excuse for delaying the implementation of CO2 reductions. But they also wanted to issue a warning that large scale open field, real world experiments in ocean fertilization and solar radiation management may be about to begin and need to come under scrutiny.
The ETCGroup reports that indigenous peoples, civil society organizations and women’s group have already expressed their opposition to geoengineeering schemes. Most of these organization are in the global South and they need to hear from the opposition in the industrialized countries, especially in the US and the UK. The goals are to bring about a ban on any real-world experimentation in geoengineering, to expose the overt and covert interests of the players, and to demand accountability from governments, corporations and scientists who are actively promoting these technologies.
2010-03-26, San Francisco
THIS IS ONE SELF-CONTAINED 29 MINUTE PROGRAM
Code A342-A For a broadcast quality mp3 version click HERE
Code A342CD To order a 58 minute CD that includes End of Industrial Civilization click here$10.00
Code A342DVD To order a 40 minute film on DVD with Silvia Ribeiro click here $14.00
