U.N. urged to freeze climate geo-engineering projects

U.N. urged to freeze climate geo-engineering projects

www.reuters.com

(Reuters) - The United Nations should impose a moratorium on "geo-engineering" projects such as artificial volcanoes and vast cloud-seeding schemes to fight climate change, green groups say, fearing they could harm nature and mankind.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Some of the geo-engineering schemes proposed include:

-- Ocean fertilization. Large areas are sprinkled with iron or other nutrients to artificially spur growth of phytoplankton, which soak up carbon dioxide. But this could trigger harmful algal blooms, soak up nutrients and kill fish and other animals.

-- Spray seawater into the atmosphere to increase the reflectivity and condensation of clouds so they bounce more sunlight back into space.

-- Placing trillions of tiny solar reflectors out in space to cut the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth.

-- Artificial volcanoes. Tiny sulfate particles or other materials are released into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight, simulating the effect of a major volcanic eruption.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Whoah right off the bat this article is sensational with that plane spraying (chemicals?) all over the skies.

Somebody sane:

"It's absolutely inappropriate for a handful of governments in industrialized countries to make a decision to try geo-engineering without the approval of all the world's support," Pat Mooney, from Canada-headquartered advocacy organization ETC Group, told Reuters on the sidelines of the October 18-29 meeting.

"Improving nature conservation is what we should do in order to fight climate change, not trying to change nature."

Great article, thanks OP.

reply to post by beebs


the chem spraying plane is what immediately caught my attention too! also, the "millions of reflectors" was downright strange.

reply to post by tonypazzo


I think there are some very concerned citizens in Canada, and perhaps this article is the result of some well directed efforts straight to the top to send a message.

It is powerful language, even to suggest that certain countries might be trying geo-engineering without consensus.