#Geoengineering

[reality-detective]

Geo-engineering/Weather Modification 🤔

[hope-for-the-planet]

From the article:

When rain pounds earth that contains the right mix of minerals, carbon dioxide in the air dissolves into the water and reacts to form new compounds that imprison carbon dioxide. With enough time, this natural process of literally petrifying the air will cleanse the atmosphere of the carbon dioxide pollution humanity has emitted from burning fossil fuels and other activities. The problem, though, is this natural cycle takes millennia. Kanan’s idea is to take a process that normally operates on geologic time — and speed it up. To do so, his team mixed together limestone with a crushed silicate mineral that contains magnesium — such as olivine, an olive-tinted mineral that can be found around the world. When heated to furiously high temperatures in a kiln, calcium in the limestone and magnesium in the silicate jiggle and switch sides, like participants in a square dance. The result of the chemical reaction is two compounds — magnesium oxide and calcium silicate — that both readily react with air and water to trap carbon dioxide in a matter of weeks. After accounting for emissions from heating the kilns and capturing carbon dioxide from burning limestone, each ton of material can remove one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the researchers estimate. “We didn’t expect that it would work as well as it does,” said Yuxuan Chen, lead author of the study who worked in Kanan’s lab while getting his PhD, said in a statement.

[epitome-the-burnkid-viii]

[amnhnyc]

The climate emergency demands bold and unconventional solutions, and geoengineering has emerged as a controversial yet potentially transformative approach.

In the 23rd Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, convenes leading experts to examine the latest advancements in geoengineering. Together, they will discuss the scientific, ethical, and policy considerations surrounding relevant technologies and large-scale interventions—and their role in shaping the future of our planet.

[rafiknytvphotoandfilm]

Yes it is.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Teddy Wilson at Radical Reports:

Last year, Republican lawmakers in several states introduced bills that would ban weather modification activities, and the language of the bill echoes language used by conspiracy theorists to describe so-called “chemtrails.” Radical Reports previously reported that GOP state lawmakers had introduced a dozen bills to ban “chemtrails,” in states including Arizona, Connecticut. Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Mississippi GOP state Sen. Angela Burks Hill’s bill specifically states that the legislation is intended to “prohibit chemtrails,” and Kentucky state Sen. Steve Rawlings’ bill was introduced after a supporter asked him to “reinstate the chemtrails bill,” and Rawling replied that “it’s on the agenda!” Radical Reports has identified an additional eight bills introduced in by GOP state lawmakers in Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. GOP state lawmakers have now introduced at least 22 bills in 13 states that would ban “chemtrails.”

[...] Recently, adherents of the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory have made claims that the purpose of the contrails is connected to a global conspiracy to use geoengineering technology to change the climate. While there are various types of geoengineering technologies that are being develop for climate change mitigation, none of the claims made by the supporters of the “chemtrails” conspiracy theory are based in reality. Geoengineering, which is a legitimate area of scientific research and study into various types of technologies that could be used to mitigate the effects of climate change, is used by conspiracy theorist as a euphemism for what they claim is the purposeful creation of “chemtrails.” The language in these bills often appears similar to model legislation created and promoted by fringe conspiracy theorists, and connected to group which operates a website that claims to advocate for "shutting down pollution-generating atmospheric modification schemes": Zero Geoengineering— which highlighted and promoted the bills introduce in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

The GOP’s normalization of conspiracy theories has led to the spate of anti-chemtrails laws being filed.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Solar geoengineering might become increasingly appealing to U.S. security planners. While it cannot eliminate climate change, it can potentially preempt the worst effects and enable the semicontrolled management of climatic change: “US strategy is less concerned about the effects of climate change as such (turbulence is assumed) than it is about the consequences for US imperial power. The precise when and where of turbulence is indifferent. What matters is whether the accidental event of turbulence can be harnessed to the strategic ends of the US-dollar denominated world.” That is, if the climate is inevitably changing and this change presents a threat to U.S. power (primarily by forcing a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, and particularly oil, to which the dollar is inextricably linked), then strategic logic suggests actively intervening in and changing the climate in such a way that is strategically beneficial to U.S. imperial power.

Kevin Surprise, Gramsci in the Stratosphere: Solar Geoengineering and Capitalist Hegemony

[aria-diary]

Footage of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helena on October 27, 2024 at Chimney Rock and Lake Lure in western North Carolina. Those of you who have ever visited this place know what it looked like before. Just for information: In the area of ​​Lake Lure and in the mountains surrounding this lake, the famous movie Dirty Dancing and The Last of the Mohicans was filmed.🙏🥺

Also the same event happened recently in Bosnia (BIH). 🥺My condolences to all the families who have lost their loved ones.🕊️🕯️

[aitiuilghrain]

[ablogofcourage]

[mindblowingscience]

The past five months have shattered global temperature records, taking scientists by surprise. Many are asking why. A new study published in Oxford Open Climate Change, led by renowned U.S. climate scientist James Hansen, suggests one of the main drivers has been an unintentional global geoengineering experiment: the reduction of ship tracks.  As commercial ships move across the ocean, they emit exhaust that includes sulfur. This can contribute to the formation of marine clouds through aerosols — also known as ship tracks — which radiate heat back out into space. However, in 2020, as part of an effort to curb the harmful aerosol pollution released by these ships, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) imposed strict regulations on shipping, reducing sulfur content in fuel from 3.5 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The reduction in marine clouds has allowed more heat to be absorbed into the oceans, accelerating an energy imbalance, where more heat is being trapped than being released. 

Continue Reading.

[reality-detective]

Chemtrails are no longer conspiracy 🤔

[jjmcquade-misc]

Make Sunsets

Experiments with unknown long-term consequences that will impact every living being. When you have people like that, who with money and crazy ideas claim the right to do whatever they want, how can you not worry about these madmen? It was already bad enough with Bill Gates.

1. Is This Initiative a Good Idea?

Potential Benefits : The goal of reflecting sunlight to cool the planet is rooted in observed natural phenomena (e.g., volcanic eruptions temporarily cooling the Earth). If successful, such interventions might reduce global temperatures and buy time to address climate change.

Proponents argue it could mitigate extreme heat, sea-level rise, and other climate impacts.

Major Concerns :

Unintended Consequences : The climate system is highly complex. Sulfate aerosols could disrupt rainfall patterns, worsen droughts, or alter monsoons, disproportionately affecting vulnerable regions.

Moral Hazard : Relying on geoengineering might reduce urgency to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which are the root cause of climate change.

Ethical Issues : Decisions about planetary-scale interventions lack global governance. Who gets to control the "thermostat"? What if some nations suffer harm?

Irreversibility : If deployed at scale and then abruptly stopped ("termination shock"), rapid warming could occur, causing catastrophic ecological and societal disruption.

2. Bad Consequences of Sulfur Dioxide Injection

Acid Rain : Sulfur dioxide oxidizes into sulfuric acid, which can fall as acid rain, damaging ecosystems, agriculture, and infrastructure. While stratospheric injection delays this (particles stay aloft longer), they eventually descend.

Ozone Depletion : Sulfate aerosols can accelerate ozone layer destruction, increasing UV radiation risks.

Health Risks : If particles reach ground level, sulfur dioxide irritates lungs and exacerbates respiratory diseases.

Geopolitical Conflict : Countries affected by unintended consequences (e.g., crop failures) could blame the actors deploying geoengineering, leading to conflict.

Ecosystem Disruption : Changes in sunlight and precipitation could destabilize ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and food chains.

3. Will the Sulfuric Acid "Fall Back to Earth"?

Yes, but not immediately. Stratospheric particles can remain aloft for 1–2 years, slowly descending due to gravity and atmospheric circulation. When they reach the lower atmosphere, they may contribute to acid rain or soil/water acidification. While the concentration per unit area would be low, the cumulative global impact is uncertain.

Key Criticisms of the Initiative

Premature Deployment : Small startups like Make Sunsets are experimenting without robust scientific consensus, regulatory frameworks, or transparency.

False Equivalence to CO₂ Emissions : While CO₂ drives long-term warming, sulfur dioxide’s effects are short-term and come with distinct risks. Comparing the two oversimplifies the trade-offs.

Ethical Overreach : The CEO’s claim that it’s "morally wrong not to do this" ignores the precautionary principle. Unproven interventions could cause more harm than good.

Conclusion

While geoengineering research has a place in climate discussions, rushed, unregulated deployment is reckless . The risks of sulfur dioxide injection—including acid rain, geopolitical strife, and ecological harm—currently outweigh the hypothetical benefits. Climate solutions should prioritize rapid emissions cuts, renewable energy, and adaptation. Geoengineering should remain a last-resort option, subject to rigorous international oversight.

The initiative described reflects a dangerous "technofix" mindset, sidestepping systemic change in favor of unproven, high-stakes experiments. As climate scientist Raymond Pierrehumbert warns: "Geoengineering is like chemotherapy for the planet—it’s not something you do unless you’re very, very sick." We’re not there yet—and we must act to ensure we never need to be.

[victusinveritas]

[plethoraworldatlas]

A study published Friday found that a cloud engineering technique designed to cool parts of the western United States could inadvertently stoke heatwaves from North America to Europe, underscoring why many scientists reject geoengineering as a false climate solution.

The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, concludes that marine cloud brightening (MCB)—"a geoengineering proposal to cool atmospheric temperatures and reduce climate change impacts"—in the "remote mid-latitudes or proximate subtropics" of the northern Pacific Ocean—would decrease "the relative risk of dangerous summer heat exposure by 55% and 16%, respectively."

However, the researchers found that regions including Africa's Sahel, central North America, Europe, and northeastern Asia would "experience exacerbated heat stress and hotter summers with MCB than would otherwise occur under global warming."

Additionally, the study shows that MCB would be less effective over time and could "even increase heat stress in the western United States" and beyond by mid-century.

University of California San Diego researcher Jessica Wan, who led the study, toldThe Guardian that MCB "can be very effective for the U.S. West Coast if done now, but it may be ineffective there in the future and could cause heatwaves in Europe."

The study's authors said the paper's findings are especially troubling given the dearth of international MCB regulation.

"There is really no solar geoengineering governance right now. That is scary," said Wan. "Science and policy need to be developed together. We don't want to be in a situation where one region is forced to do geoengineering to combat what another part of the world has done to respond to droughts and heatwaves."

[minarachelle]

Luxembourg, 2024