Playing God: 4 Geoengineering Projects Doomed To Fail While Polluting

The Earth
Nov 5, 2013 by MARCO TORRES
Geoengineering technologies re the st!" o# $olly%oo& ctstro'he (ic)s* +t see,s
scientists %nt to 'ly Go& %ith o!r cli,te n& nothing %ill sto' the,* Reserchers hve
reco,,en&e& sen&ing o!t gint glss s!nsh&e into s'ce to re(ect light- the er!'tion o#
rti.cil volcnoes, or s'rying o# s!l'hte erosols into the strtos'here- &issolving
,o!ntins n& '!tting re,ins in the se- n&, lest &r,ticlly, 'erh's, .ling the ocen
%ith iron .lings to sti,!lte lge bloo,s* $ere re / geoengineering 'ro0ects &oo,e& to
#il %hile they 'oll!te o!r Erth*
12eo'le re right to be revolte& n& lr,e&,1 sys Mtthe% 3tson, the he& o# the
Strtos'heric 2rticle +n0ection #or Cli,te Engineering 4S'ice5 te,* 1Tht6s goo&
thing* +t sho!l& not so!n& esy* +# %e &o this, it %ill be the clerest in&iction %e hve
#ile& s 'lnetry ste%r&s* +t %ill be &es'erte thing to &o*1
Critics o# geoengineering cli, the govern,ent strte& ,o&i#ying the environ,ent yers
go thro!gh che,trils* Critics hve been ,oc)e& s cons'ircy theorists, ho%ever the
concern is shre& by rtionl scientists n& e7'erts s %ell s ,ny environ,entl
ctivists, #or resons tht stretch bc) to the 8ietn, 3r*
9et%een 1:;< n& 1:<2, the =S ir #orce crrie& o!t 1O'ertion 2o'eye1, the .rst !se o#
%ether s n instr!,ent o# %r* Al,ost 3,000 (ights %ere sent into the s)ies bove the $o
Chi Minh Tril, %here 'lnes see&e& clo!&s %ith silver io&i&e 'rticles, c!sing stor,s n&
e7ten&ing the ,onsoon seson* 12o'eye1 t!rne& the strtegic 'ss into bog >> n&
''lle& the interntionl co,,!nity* +n 1:<<, the En,o& 4Environ,entl Mo&i.ction
Convention5 trety o!tl%e& %ether %r#re*
1The =N Generl Setting !' ,!st &!st it &o%n,1 'oints o!t ?i, Tho,s o# the ETC gro!',
co,'ny tht &voctes ,intinble &evelo',ent* The ction te, on @isintegrtion,
Mo&ern technology n& Concentrtion vie%s ny )in& o# technologicl best o'tion to
cli,te ,o&i.ction s 1hr,#!l interr!'tion1, t)ing #oc!s %y #ro, ty'icl CO2
&ecrese ,etho&s, s!ch s re'lenishble energy reso!rces* A 1'ost'one,ent nee&s to be
clle&1 on reserch, even in the lb, he sys*
E7ce't on tht criticl #ctor, the line bet%een !n&er%riters o# geoengineering n& those
tht %nt it 'rohibite& is ,Aingly sli,* 3hile hn&#!l o# e7'erts ss!,e %e sho!l&
geoengineer or enco!nter ctstro'he, they #or, ,inority* Geoengineering is 1the %rong
ns%er1, sttes Blvor6s Mtthe% 3tson, %ho blogs s the $esitnt Geoengineer*
Bro, co,'!ter syste, ,o&elling, ,ny reserchers )no% e7ctly ho% %rong
geoengineering inititives re* S'rying lrge ,o!nts o# s!l'hte erosols into the
strtos'here %o!l&, #or instnce, obsc!re the visibility o# the s!n6s rys n& "ect ll li#e on
Erth* Rin#ll 'tterns co!l& lso go hy%ire, the oAone lyer co!l& bre) !'* @!,' iron
.lings into the se n& yo! ,ight %ell )ill o" s%thes o# ,rine li#e* There re #r too ,ny
ris)s tht e7cee& the bene.ts o# controlling cli,te %hich ,ny scientists &on6t even
believe is 'roble, ny,ore* +t6s nt!rl co!rse #or the Erth n& ll cli,s regr&ing
globl %r,ing hve been e7ggerte& #or 'oliticl gin*
4 GEOENGINEERING PROE!T" DOO#ED TO F$I%
&' "TR$TO"P(ERI! $ERO"O%"
The TechnologyC Scientists re lre&y trying to sto' the s!n6s rys n& het #ro, reching
the Erth6s t,os'here by re(ecting so,e o# the s!n6s rys bc) into s'ce !sing erosls*
They6ve been clle& che,trils, eril s'rying, erosol e,issions, cirr!s clo!&s, ,ong
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Playing God: 4 Geoengineering Projects Doomed To Fail While Polluting
The Earth
,ny other ter,s* The lrgest re'orts co,e #ro, Cn& n& =*S* b!t it h''ens ll over
the %orl& incl!&ing co!ntries s!ch s Brnce, Ger,ny, Ne% Geln&, A!strli, the =nite&
Hing&o, ,ong ,ny others* Tho!sn&s o# 'lnes s'ry che,icls, slt or other
'rtic!ltes into o!r t,os'here in n tte,'t to c!rb globl %r,ing 4so they sy5*
$o% Scientists 3nt to 2ly Go&C The relese o# che,icls or 'rtic!ltes, li)e highly
'oll!ting s!l#!r hve been &isc!sse& #or l,ost &ec&e by ,ny scientists %orl&%i&e
%iting in the %ings #or #!n&ing* They %nt to && ,ore s,ll re(ecting 'rticles in the
!''er 'rt o# the t,os'here 4the strtos'here %hich is locte& bet%een 15 n& 50
)ilo,eters bove the ErthIs s!r#ce5* The gol is tht these strtos'heric erosols %ill be
engineere& to ,igrte to 'rtic!lr regions 4e*g* over the rctic5 or to rise bove the
strtos'here* A CBR geo>engineering ,eeting s!,,ry &oc!,ent #ro, 1::: 42@B 'ges
12,13,1/5 lso ctegoriclly stte& tht the !lti,te gol !n&er JA technology strtegy #or
globl %r,ingK is the i,'le,enttion o# globl Crbon T7* So they %nt to 'ly Go&
n& t7 ,n t the s,e ti,e*
Why it Won)t Wor*: This is ,ong the ris)iest n& ,ost ri&ic!lo!s o# globl %r,ing
.7es* Globl %ether 'tterns co!l& be &rsticlly "ecte&* Arti.cil %ether ,o&i.ction
cn i,'ct ll o# !s by re&!cing %ter s!''lies, chnging gric!lt!rl cro' 'ro&!ction
cycles, re&!cing cro' 'ro&!ction, n& %ter vilbility* Since ,ost e7'eri,entl %ether
,o&i.ction 'rogr,s !se che,icls relese& into the t,os'here the '!blic co!l& be
s!b0ecte& incresingly to7ic or !n)no%n s!bstnces tht co!l& &versely i,'ct gric!lt!rl
cro's n& trees* +# %e rti.cilly chnge the gro%ing sesons, o!r 'ollintors li)e bees n&
bir&s 4,ny no% in shr' &ecline cross the =nite& Sttes5, ,y not s!rvive, leving ,ny
(o%ers, ntive 'lnts, gric!lt!rl n& trees cro's tht re not 'ollinte&* Ntive grsses,
'lnts, trees, n& gric!lt!rl losses co!l& be &evstte& not only in the =nite& Sttes b!t
on %orl&%i&e bsis*
+' "P$!E REF%E!TOR"
The TechnologyC Scientists %o!l& sse,bling gint glss s!nsh&e in s'ce then .ring it
into orbit to re(ect s,ll 'ro'ortion o# the s!n6s rys, ccor&ing to strono,er Roger
Angel*
$o% Scientists 3nt to 2ly Go&C Scientists cli, re&!ction o# 0!st 2 'ercent in s!nlight
reching the Erth %o!l& ,)e %r,ing ,ore ,ngeble*
Why it Won)t Wor*: Asteroi&s, 'ri,rily* Glss &iscs %o!l& be v!lnerble to s'ce &ebris,
n& ,intennce o# 1s'ce !,brell1 reL!ires ti,e, e7'ertise n& ,oney* Any tte,'ts
to control the e7terior 'eri,eter o# the Erth thro!gh Go&>li)e intervention in s'ce
re(ectors is n e7ercise in #!tility since ny ty'e o# technology, regr&less o# ho% &vnce&,
%o!l& never %ithstn& the strength o# even s,ll steroi&s n& s'ce &ebris %hich %o!l&
essentilly ren&er these re(ectors !seless*
,' O!E$N FERTI%I-$TION W.IRON
The TechnologyC @ro''ing iron .lings into the ocen co!l& theoreticlly generte bloo,s o#
crbon>bsorbing 'ln)ton* The 'ln)ton then t)e in CO2 t the s!r#ce, then crry it %ith
the, s they &ri#t to the ocen (oor #ter &eth, creting 1crbon sin)s1*
$o% Scientists 3nt to 2ly Go&C Scientists thin) tht they cn o'ti,lly #ertiliAe the ocen
4rti.cilly5 to hel' restore lostDthretene& ecosyste,s* They theoreticlly ss!,e iron
in#!sions co!l& 're#erentilly #vor certin s'ecies n& lter s!r#ce ecosyste,s even
tho!gh they hve no evi&ence on the overll i,'ct since the e"ects re !n)no%n*
Why it Won)t Wor*:
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Playing God: 4 Geoengineering Projects Doomed To Fail While Polluting
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2o'!ltion e7'losions o# L!tic li#e tht &ist!rb the #oo& chin ,y i,'ct ,ny %il&li#e
'o'!ltions* This hs lre&y been sho%n to le& to n !nnt!rl i,blnce bet%een .sh,
%hles n& 0elly.sh* A 2010 st!&y sho%e& tht iron enrich,ent sti,!ltes to7ic &ito,
'ro&!ction in high>nitrte, lo%>chloro'hyll res %hich, the !thors rg!e, rises 1serio!s
concerns over the net bene.t n& s!stinbility o# lrge>scle iron #ertiliAtions1*
+t t)es long ti,e #or co,'rtively little e"ect, n& the i,'ct on ,rine li#e co!l& be
&evstting* 3here 'ln)ton bloo,s in contine& %ter so!rces, .sh cn s!"octe*
Bertilising the ocens %o!l& lso ,rginlly ci&i#y the,*
4' $RTIFI!I$% TREE"
The TechnologyC A&vnce& technology lre&y e7ists to e7trct CO2 #ro, the ir* Hl!s
Mc)ner o# the Col!,bi =niversity Erth +nstit!te hs &evelo'e& ,chinery tht %o!l&
re'lce tree n& e7trct 1,000 ti,es ,ore CO2 &y #ro, the t,os'here thn nt!rl
tree*
$o% Scientists 3nt to 2ly Go&C Scientists thin) tht b!il&ing these rti.cil tree syste,s
ro!n& the %orl& co!l& re'lce nt!re6s bl!e'rint %ith ,ore &vnce& #or, o# e7trcting
CO2 #ro, the t,os'here*
Why it Won)t Wor*:
15 $igh costC &irect ir>c't!re ,es!res li)e this %o!l& cost ,ini,!, o# N;00 'er
tonne o# CO2 re,ove&*
25 The e"ects o# re,oving 1000 ti,es ,ore CO2 o!t o# the t,os'here thn nt!rl
trees co!l& hve &etri,entl e"ect on ecosyste,s n& !'set he ho,eosttic
eL!ilibri!, o# these syste,s %hich ,y &r,ticlly "ect the #oo& chin*
Glo/al Dimming
Co,'ring +sreli s!nlight recor&s #ro, the 1:50s %ith c!rrent ones, @r Stnhill %s
stonishe& to .n& lrge #ll in solr r&ition* 1There %s stggering 22O &ro' in the
s!nlight, n& tht relly ,Ae& ,e*1 +ntrig!e&, he serche& recor&s #ro, ll ro!n& the
%orl&, n& #o!n& the s,e story l,ost every%here he loo)e&*
S!nlight %s #lling by 10O over the =SA, nerly 30O in 'rts o# the #or,er Soviet =nion,
n& even by 1;O in 'rts o# the 9ritish +sles* Altho!gh the e"ect vrie& gretly #ro, 'lce
to 'lce, overll the &ecline ,o!nte& to one to t%o 'er cent globlly every &ec&e
bet%een the 1:50s n& the 1::0s*
@r Stnhill clle& it 1globl &i,,ing1, b!t his reserch, '!blishe& in 2001, ,et sce'ticl
res'onse #ro, other scientists* +t %s only recently, %hen his concl!sions %ere con.r,e&
by A!strlin scientists !sing co,'letely &i"erent ,etho& to esti,te solr r&ition, tht
cli,te scientists t lst %o)e !' to the relity o# globl &i,,ing*
This visible ir 'oll!tion crete& by geoengineering re(ects s!nlight bc) into s'ce,
'reventing it reching the s!r#ce* 9!t the 'oll!tion lso chnges the o'ticl 'ro'erties o#
clo!&s* 9ec!se the 'rticles see& the #or,tion o# %ter &ro'lets, 'oll!te& clo!&s contin
lrger n!,ber o# &ro'lets thn !n'oll!te& clo!&s*
Recent reserch sho%s tht this ,)es the, ,ore re(ective thn they %o!l& other%ise be,
gin re(ecting the S!n6s rys bc) into s'ce* Scientists re no% %orrie& tht &i,,ing,
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Playing God: 4 Geoengineering Projects Doomed To Fail While Polluting
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by shiel&ing the ocens #ro, the #!ll 'o%er o# the S!n, ,y be &isr!'ting the 'ttern o# the
%orl&6s rin#ll*
There re s!ggestions tht &i,,ing %s behin& the &ro!ghts in s!b>Shrn A#ric %hich
cli,e& h!n&re&s o# tho!sn&s o# lives in the 1:<0s n& F0s* Others hve s'ec!lte& tht
the =N6s &e'o'!ltion 'ln 4Agen& 215 is !sing geoengineering s one o# its ,ost e"ective
'lt#or,s*
There re &ist!rbing hints the s,e thing ,y be h''ening to&y in Asi, ho,e to hl# the
%orl&6s 'o'!ltion*
1My ,in concern is globl &i,,ing is lso hving &etri,entl i,'ct on the Asin
,onsoon,1 sys 2ro#essor 8eerhbh&rn R,nthn, 'ro#essor o# cli,te n&
t,os'heric sciences t the =niversity o# Cli#orni, Sn @iego* 13e re tl)ing bo!t
billions o# 'eo'le*1
The Industrial0#ilitary !om1le2 For !om1lete Weather !ontrol $gainst
Glo/al Warming
$AAR2 is lrge 1F/ ntenne gri& tht 'ro0ects 'o%er#!l electro,gnetic '!lses to het
s'eci.c 'oint in the erth6s ionos'here* This hs the e"ect o# creting electro,gnetic
#reL!encies tht cn be bo!nce& bc) to erth t &esire& loctions, c!sing ,0or
&isr!'tion to %ether n& geo'hysicl ele,ents, even &ee' !n&ergro!n&* =' to 3*; billion
%tts cn be generte& by $AAR2, heting the ionos'here to over 50 000 &egrees n&
Jli#ting 30 sL!re )ilo,eter re o# the ionos'here, thereby chnging locliAe& 'ress!re
syste,s or even ltering the ro!te o# 0et stre,s*K
The Cse Ornge re'ort cites evi&ence tht Rytheon co!l& &evelo' the c'city to
Je7ercise #or, o# co,'lete J%ether controlK, sit!tion bering ,r)e& si,ilrity to
the Monsnto cor'ortion6s stte& ,bition Jto control the #oo& chin*K +t is note%orthy tht
there re c!rrently ,ore thn 500 Pcli,te re&yI geneticlly ,o&i.e& 'lnt gene 'tents
%iting licensing ''rovls in 3shington n& 9r!ssels* PCli,te Re&yI GM see&s n&
'lnts re 'ro,ise& by their cretors to be c'ble o# 'ro&!cing cro' !n&er both (oo&
n& &ro!ght con&itions*
The h!,n rights n& environ,entl %tch&og 6ETC Gro!'6 &escribes the t,os'heric
geoengineering &evelo',ents s #ollo%sC JThe roll>o!t o# 62ln 96 4 re#erence to the !se o#
geoengineering i# other e"orts to c!rtil e,issions sho!l& be &ee,e& ine"ective5 is being
s)il#!lly e7ec!te&C 2ro,inent high level 'nels s'onsore& by 'restige gro!'s, s'te o#
'eer>revie%e& rticles in science 0o!rnls n& line !' o# 'nic)e& 'oliticins in northern
co!ntries, no&&ing nervo!sly in gree,ent s scientists testi#y bo!t the Jnee& to reserch
2ln 9*K
R&y Ann& sttes t the en& o# his ''erC
JCse Ornge ties>in 1::; re'ort by to' ,ilitry 'ersonnel in the =S entitle&
J3ether s Borce M!lti'lierC O%ning the 3ether in 2025K %ith &etils s!ch s
govern,ent s'rying sche&!les, che,icl or&ers, correct no,enclt!re !se& in
irline o'ertion ,n!ls n& clls #or geoengineering by econo,ists, to s!''ort its
notion o# Jhevy involve,ent o# govern,ents t to' level in cli,te control
'ro0ects*K Ann& contin!esC JO%ning the 3ether in 2025 'rovi&es s'eci.c ti,e
line #or the !se o# En Mo& technologies in coo'ertion %ith the 3ether Mo&i.ction
Assocition, b!siness>govern,ent gro!' 'ro,oting the 6bene.cil6 4,y e,'hsis5
!ses o# environ,entl ,o&i.ctionC
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Playing God: 4 Geoengineering Projects Doomed To Fail While Polluting
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2000>2025 =se che,icls #or t,os'heric see&ing by civilin 4s %ell s
,ilitry5 vition
200/ Crete s,rt clo!&s thro!gh nnotechnology, %ith e7'onentil increse
#ro, 2010
2005 +ntro&!ce crbon blc) &!st*K
The 3N Enlisted In Geoengineering #ilitary !om/at $gainst !limate
+n 200<, The 3orl& Meteorologicl Orgnistion 4o# the =nite& Ntions5 '!blishe&
stte,ent tht incl!&e& JG!i&elines #or 2lnning o# 3ether Mo&i.ction Activities*K This
&oc!,ent clerly i,'lictes the =N in 'lns to con&!ct erosol s'rying ctivities on %i&e
scle*
+n section o# the Cse Ornge re'ort &eling %ith 6the bre necessities o# geoengineering
thro!gh clo!& genertion #or the s!rvivl o# the 'lnet6 the !thors stteC JO!r investigtion
te, co,es to the concl!sion tht cli,te control 'rogr,s, controlle& by the ,ilitry b!t
''rove& by govern,ents, re silently i,'le,ente& in or&er to voi& the %orst cse
scenrio they obvio!sly &o not %nt* The t%o bsic instr!,ents re te,'ert!re control
thro!gh the genertion o# rti.cil clo!&s n& ,ni'!ltion o# the ionos'here thro!gh
ionos'here heters*
J9oth re,in bsiclly ,ilitry co,bt syste,s %ith the o'tion to go into the o"ensive i#
&ee,e& necessry* $o%ever, since severl ionos'heric heters re instlle& t vrio!s
'lces ro!n& the globe, one cn ss!,e tht there is %i&e coo'ertion bet%een
govern,ents in or&er to rech cli,te trgets by 2025C controlling the %ether n& the
'lnet*K
The s'rying sche,es see, to be orgnise& in logicl 'ttern so tht the %hole o# E!ro'e
is covere& in 3 &y 'erio&* Colo!re& ,'s o# E!ro'e in&icte %hen ech regi,e is to t)e
'lce*
+n the re'ort6s section entitle& JReco,,en&tionsK, the !thors stteC J2ersistent
che,trils hve &evstting i,'ct on eco>syste,s on this 'lnet n& to L!lity o# li#e in
generl*K The !thors cll #or the #!ll &isclos!re o# the c!rrent En Mo& ctivities to the
'!blic, s %ell s #or ll civil vition l%s to be bi&e& by*
#oratorium On Geoengineering $cti4ities %ed No5here
+n res'onse to 'olicy interest in geoengineering s ,ens to control cli,te, s!b>
co,,ittee o# the =nite& Ntions Convention o# 9io&iversity 'ro'ose&, in My 2010,
,ortori!, on geoengineering ctivities* This 'ro'osl %s her& t the Tenth Con#erence
o# 2rties to the =N Convention o# 9io&iversity in Ngoy, ?'n b!t no o!tco,e on c!rbing
geoengineering inititives %ere concl!&e&*
The Cse Ornge re'ort #!rther sttes tht the =S 'er,its o'en ir testing o# che,icl n&
biologicl %e'ons, %hich overri&es the civil l% ,entione& erlier in this rticle* The
!thors 'r'hrse the 'er,issive l% th!sC
JThe Secretry o# @e#ense ,y con&!ct tests n& e7'eri,ents involving the !se o#
che,icl n& biologicl gents on civilin 'o'!ltions*K
+t see,s tht Pntionl sec!rityI concerns cn be !se& by the 2resi&ent to overr!le
environ,entl n& '!blic helth consi&ertions* +s the s,e tr!e in E!ro'eQ
Other signi.cnt re'orts incl!&e n i,'ortnt ''er by @r +ly 2erlingieri, entitle& JThe
ConseL!ences o# To7ic Metls n& Che,icl Aerosols on $!,n $elthK* She sttesC JOver
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Playing God: 4 Geoengineering Projects Doomed To Fail While Polluting
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the 'st &ec&e, in&e'en&ent testing o# Che,trils ro!n& the co!ntry hve sho%n
&ngero!s, e7tre,ely 'oisono!s bre% tht incl!&esC bri!,, nno>l!,ini!, cote&
.breglss 4)no%n s C$ABB5, r&ioctive thori!,, c&,i!,, chro,i!,, nic)el, &essicte&
bloo&, ,o!l& s'ores, yello% #!ngl ,ycoto7ins, ethylene &ibro,i&e n& 'oly,er .bres*
9ri!, cn be co,'re& to the to7icity o# rsenic n& is )no%n to &versely "ect the
hert* Al!,ini!, hs history o# &,ging brin #!nction*K
So!rcesC
bbc*co*!)
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Marco Torres is a research specialist, writer and consumer advocate for healthy lifestyles.
He holds degrees in Public Health and Environmental Science and is a professional speaker
on topics such as disease prevention, environmental toins and health policy.
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