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Scientists to Begin Testing Artificial Volcano to Curb Climate Change

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Posted on Sep 14, 2011
Flickr / tarotastic (CC-BY)

A volcano erupts in Papua New Guinea.

Researchers in the U.K. will begin an experiment next month that, by imitating a volcanic eruption, could eventually lead to a climate-cooling method that would work by putting sun-reflective particles into the stratosphere.

The geoengineering experiment, which during its first phase of testing will shoot water into the air through a kilometer-long hose suspended in the air with a hydrogen balloon, was inspired by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991. That volcano shot 20 million tons of sulfate particles into the atmosphere, ultimately cooling Earth by 0.5 degrees Celsius for 18 months.

But scientists believe it will be decades before they can safely implement such a cooling strategy, and even then, they warned, it should not be used as an excuse to avoid cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Rather, geoengineering should be considered a short-term emergency remedy. —BF

Scientific American:

The water tests are expected to be harmless, but several environmental groups have criticized the plan—and geoengineering in general. Last year, the United Nation’s Convention on Biological Diversity issued a statement forbidding geoengineering research that may impact biodiversity. The U.K. accepted that statement, but the SPICE [Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering] experiment does not violate any international agreements due to its small scale, says Jason Blackstock, a physicist at Canada’s Center for International Governance Innovation.

Nevertheless, the Canada-based Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC) is calling the tests internationally irresponsible. In a written statement, they called on the British government to shut down the project, adding: “This experiment is only phase one of a much bigger plan that could have devastating consequences, including large changes in weather patterns such as deadly droughts.”

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EmileZ's avatar

By EmileZ, September 16, 2011 at 8:49 am Link to this comment

I hold no hope for geoengineering schemes.

We know what has to be done.

These proponents of geoengineering are dangerous fools (to put it nicely).

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By Chris Roberts, September 15, 2011 at 11:17 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

A lot of oil industry money has gone into research for geoengineering. I find it hard to believe they are doing this because they are concerned about global warming. I have long been suspicious the whole enterprise is a scheme to delay the beginning of the solar age by reducing the efficiency of solar panels just enough to prevent their widespread use. If the oil industry can delay long enough to develop methods to steer reflectors in the upper atmosphere they may one day be able charge us for solar energy they control.

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By rumblingspire, September 15, 2011 at 10:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Please do not experiment with the perfectly functioning ecosystem.  Do stop putting dirt into it!

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John M's avatar

By John M, September 15, 2011 at 8:28 am Link to this comment

http://www.climatedepot.com/a/12797/Exclusive-Nobel-PrizeWinning-Physicist-Who-Endorsed-Obama-Dissents-Resigns-from-American-Physical-Society-Over-Groups-Promotion-of-ManMade-Global-Warming

Exclusive: Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Who Endorsed
Obama Dissents! Resigns from American Physical
Society Over Group’s Promotion of Man-Made Global
Warming

Nobel Laureate Dr. Ivar Giaever: ‘The temperature (of
the Earth) has been amazingly stable, and both human
health and happiness have definitely improved in this
‘warming’ period.

Giaever announced his resignation from APS was due to
the group’s belief in man-made global warming fears.
Giaever explained in his email to APS: “In the APS it
is ok to discuss whether the mass of the proton
changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves,
but the evidence of global warming is
incontrovertible? The claim (how can you measure the
average temperature of the whole earth for a whole
year?) is that the temperature has changed from
~288.0 to ~288.8 degree Kelvin in about 150 years,
which (if true) means to me is that the temperature
has been amazingly stable, and both human health and
happiness have definitely improved in this ‘warming’
period.”

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johnnyfarout's avatar

By johnnyfarout, September 15, 2011 at 8:16 am Link to this comment

This is laughable. I reckon it’s all part of the University/MIC/ tax the poor give to the rich scheme of nonsense economic planning we’ve come to expect from our overlords. Hundreds of trillions of dollars, so many zer0’s our eyes widen in amazement. More of the counter-intuitive solution to all things economic the capitalists and their revisionist tinkerers joking call, ‘thinking about the future’. Pressure washing the skies…LOLoutloud! I can just imagine all the, “oops! We didn’t think that would happen!” exclamation for the even worse results of packing the atmosphere with more man-made stuff; how about we stop running tanks around on 4 gallons/mile…think that would help things cool down? I can see some study group claiming that if we shot all the bullets we’ve made into the sky that things would get better right away once they all fell back on us and exploded our heads like “The Dick Cheney” says he’s capable of with a book full of propaganda.

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By gadfly, September 15, 2011 at 5:57 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Carl Sagan worried about “nuclear winter” based on the cooling effect of reflective particles thrown up by a nuke. Let’s just pop off a few nukes every few years and the warming problem will be solved.

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By Big B, September 15, 2011 at 4:48 am Link to this comment

About 30 years from now (give or take) global warming will take care of itself. The petroleum is already starting to run out. Coal is not nearly as plentiful as their lobby claims. Drilling companies all over the US are digging and sucking every cubic inch of natural gas they find, at triple the cost of regular mining.

Don’t worry, the downward spiral has begun. Just shut up, hang on and try to enjoy the ride.

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By RHONDA, September 15, 2011 at 12:08 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I read about geoengineering about a year ago.  I was
hoping the idea would just go away.  We’ve been burning
oil for 150 years and cannot convince many people of
the problem with carbon in the atmosphere, and we’re
almost at the tipping point!  I don’t know which is
scarier…..geoengineering or what dimwit politicians
would do with it?

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David K. Sutton's avatar

By David K. Sutton, September 14, 2011 at 10:39 pm Link to this comment

I applaud that people are thinking outside the box but
it does concern me that we would try to fix the fact
that we are warming the planet artificially by doing
something equally as artificial to try to compensate
for it.

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