#geoengineering climate change

[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.

[reality-detective]

The UK’s Met Office confirms Solar Geoengineering...

Yet another so called ‘conspiracy theory’ that turned out to be a conspiracy fact!

What this ignorant idiot fails to mention, are the dangerous effect that the chemicals they are ‘injecting’ into the atmosphere (chemtrails) are affecting animal, plant and human health, not to mention the freak weather events that we are seeing! 🤔

[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.

[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

[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.

[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]

[ophilosoraptoro]

Strange Objects Raining Down Across America Florida | What Is the Government Hiding?

[aressida]

[mcb3k]

A Messy and Unhinged Introduction to Geoengineering

[horsesarecreatures]

Solar Geoengineering: What is It, Why People Support It, and How to Make It Safer

By the Atlantic States Environmental Coalition

What is Solar Geoengineering?

Have you ever felt hopelessness over global leaders’ failure to stop global warming? There may be a new way to slow global warming that can be implemented easier than you’d expect. Solar Geoengineering (SG) is “solar radiation management which attempts to increase reflection of solar radiation away from the earth in order to slow [global] warming.” The 2 primary types of SG are stratospheric aerosol injection (achieved by releasing reflective particles like sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere) and marine cloud brightening (achieved by “spraying sea water into the lower atmosphere to generate brighter, more reflective clouds”). SG is increasingly mentioned by scientists as a way to combat climate change. SG’s appealing qualities include its low implementation cost, little opposition to it from industries, and the likelihood of it having fast cooling effects on the planet. However, as you might have guessed, SG also comes with significant risks. How and where SG will change climate patterns is unknown, and it could reduce ozone in the atmosphere, which is critical for preventing harmful UV radiation from reaching earth. Additionally, while SG will lower global temperatures, it doesn’t address the root cause of climate change, which is GHG emissions. It won’t reduce other harmful effects of GHGs either, such as air pollution and ocean acidification. But perhaps most scarily, an increased reliance on SG could lead to something called “termination shock.” Termination shock would cause a rapid and extreme rise in global warming if SG were to be deployed, but suddenly terminated, due to failing technologies.

Image by the Union of Concerned Scientists

Why are Some Actors Hoping to Pursue SG as a Climate Change Mitigation Strategy? 

Despite its risks, some governments are looking at SG precisely because of its almost immediate impact on temperature reduction and ease of deployment. It’s probable that present mitigation efforts under the Paris Agreement won’t be enough to hinder catastrophic climate change. On October 24, 2024, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) reported  that collectively, countries have made no progress tackling climate change. Their report said:

"As greenhouse gas emissions rose to a new high of 57.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, the cuts required from today are larger; 7.5 per cent must be shaved off emissions every year until 2035 for 1.5°C. Current promises are nowhere near these levels, putting us on track for best-case global warming of 2.6°C this century and necessitating future costly and large-scale removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to bring down the overshoot."

(Likelihood of global warming exceeding the temperature increase limits of the Paris Agreement. Source: UNEP Emission Gap Report 2024)

SG is not mentioned among the possible solutions that could reverse this dire trend by UNEP in the report. However, several actors are considering it anyway. In the U.S., the company Make Sunsets has already begun deployment of balloons that release sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. President Biden also released an executive order directing all agencies to research SG, calling it “One of the most promising [climate change mitigation] strategies.” Despite SG having garnered opposition from the international community, it’s looking increasingly likely that some countries will use it in the near future.

What Needs to be Done to Make Solar Geoengineering as Safe as Possible? 

Given the likelihood of the planet warming above what global leaders hoped for, they may need to further explore SG, but not without limitations on how it’s used. There needs to be comprehensive national guidelines on SG to prevent it from causing transboundary harm. Both NASA and the EPA in their proposed rulemakings responding to the executive order stated that they intend to create grant programs for SG research and use the data gathered to shape their future SG policies. Data collection on SG is a good start. Additionally, the agencies responding to President Biden’s executive order on SG should ensure that SG will not be subsidized at the expense of safer GHG mitigation efforts. Both NASA and the EPA should use their grant programs to place contingencies on SG research that will make actors do an equivalent amount of GHG mitigation. It doesn’t matter whether the agencies provide the money for an equivalent amount of GHG mitigation, or require applicants use their own funds. Agencies just need to ensure that SG is a supplementary rather than alternative method to combat climate change. Then agencies will reduce impacts of climate change other than temperature rise, and the severity of termination shock from possible SG cessation. If you agree with ASEC’s suggestions, please comment your support on NASA and the EPA’s proposed rulemakings at www.regulations.gov.

Thank you,

ASEC

[esotericimagesforredpilledpeople]

Little known fact: History's first recorded attempt at geoengineering occurred during the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC

[rjzimmerman]

Stopping hurricanes is bold, risky and failed idea. Some want to try again. (Washington Post)

Excerpt from this Washington Post story:

For two decades, a bold and promising experiment sought to answer a wild question: Could scientists artificially weaken hurricanes before they bring devastation to U.S. shores?

The short answer was no — at least, not that scientists could detect. Despite early hints of success, they concluded in the 1980s that the endeavor aptly named Project Stormfury wasn’t worth continuing. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forbade its scientists from conducting any similar research from that point forward.

But now, as the threat of rapidly intensifying and catastrophic hurricanes grows, some want to give the idea of disrupting a storm — still far-fetched, but perhaps more necessary than ever — another shot. They are pitching new technologies and approaches that, while intriguing to some experts, also underscore how daunting, costly and dangerous it could be to try to control nature.

A Norwegian company wants to employ devices it says could cool Atlantic surface waters ahead of storms. The Japanese government is funding research to modify typhoons as part of a program tackling some of the biggest threats to humanity. And there are meanwhile broader efforts to engineer a cooler climate and weaker storms, including a White House-sponsored effort to study how blocking out some planet-heating sunlight could slow or reverse human-caused climate change.

The concept of altering the weather — technically called weather modification — has increasingly entered the public imagination, especially as warming temperatures have fueled stronger hurricanes and heavier downpours. The idea of using nuclear weapons to fight hurricanes drew some attention after a 2019 report that then-President Donald Trump suggested it, something he denied. Dangerous research to weaken tornadoes is central to the plot of the movie “Twisters” released this summer.

“We really love to control our surroundings,” said Jill Trepanier, an assistant professor at Louisiana State University.

[probablyasocialecologist]

If climate change is the most expressed manifestation of the second contradiction and green capitalism the central crisis management strategy, then SAI [stratospheric aerosol injection]—in producing (artificial) space through an expansion of the atmospheric waste sink via albedo modification—can defer the onset of this contradiction. This would allow for not only timely effectuation of green capitalism and the deferral of climate crisis but the expansion of capital accumulation in an otherwise finite system.

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