New studies about the Thwaites Glacier, also called the "Doomsday Glacier," have sparked a conversation about geoengineering as a climate change solution.

Geoengineering? Surely, WCGW?

  • TheDemonBuer@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    2 days ago

    In theory, geoengineering should slow down the rate of warming while we transition away from fossil fuels. Since the transition to a zero GHG emission global civilization will inherently take more time than we have, to prevent warming beyond 2.0C, we could use geoengineering to buy us some time. In theory, it makes perfect sense, but I am leery. I’m concerned about potential unintended consequences and side effects, but I’m even more concerned that geoengineering will make people complacent, slowing down the transition. Even theoretically, geoengineering only works if we are rapidly transitioning at the same time, otherwise it’s just like throwing more and more dynamite onto a pile, and all it would take is for us to stop geoengineering, for whatever reason, for the dynamite to explode.

    • emmanuelw@jlai.luEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      The effects on biodiversity could be devastating. And biodiversity is a protection against climate change.

  • BonerMan@ani.socialEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    Since the warming itself is Geo engineering, doing Geo engineering to reduce problems is a good idea.

    • Thorry84@feddit.nlEnglish
      23·
      2 days ago

      So the logic is, because we fucked up the first time, we must be good at fucking up. So if we try to fuck it up a second time, it will totally work and get unfucked?

      We have been actively fucking up for about 150 years, so I’d say we have experience. And we’re currently fucking up at record rates, so if we aren’t qualified I don’t know who is.