But in the absence of such measures and with the average global temperature expected to rise
Posted in General on 01. Sep, 2010
But in the absence of such measures, and with the average global temperature expected to rise more than 3C this century, there may soon come a time when more extreme measures have to be considered, he said.”If sizeable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will not happen and temperatures rise rapidly, then climatic engineering, as presented here, is the only option available to rapidly reduce temperature rises and counteract other climatic effects,” Professor Crutzen said.”Such a modification could also be stopped on short notice, if undesirable and unforeseen side-effects become apparent, which would allow the atmosphere to return to its prior state within a few years,” he said.Such an idea is so controversial that some scientists opposed its publication in the peer-reviewed scientific press, fearing that it may encourage the view that it is easier to treat the symptoms rather than the causes of climate change.Professor Crutzen, however, argues that the “grossly disappointing” international political response to the necessity of cuts in greenhouse gas emissions means that it should no longer be considered taboo to think about geo-engineering of the climate.”Importantly, its possibility should not be used to justify inadequate climate policies, but merely to create a possibility to combat potentially drastic climate heating,” he said. The controversial proposal is being taken seriously by scientists because Professor Crutzen has a proven track record in atmospheric research.A fleet of high-altitude balloons could be used to scatter the sulphur high overhead, or it could even be fired into the atmosphere using heavy artillery shells, said Professor Crutzen, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany.The effect of scattering sulphate particles in the atmosphere would be to increase the reflectance, or “albedo”, of the Earth, which should cause an overall cooling effect.Such “geo-engineering” of the climate has been suggested before, but Professor Crutzen goes much further by drawing up a detailed model of how it can be done, the timescales involved, and the costs.In his forthcoming scientific paper, Professor Crutzen emphasises that the best way of averting global climate disaster is for countries to cut back significantly on their emissions of greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide produced by burning oil, gas and coal. In a polemical scientific essay to be published in the August issue of the journal Climate Change, he says that an “escape route” is needed if global warming begins to run out of control.
Professor Crutzen has proposed a method of artificially cooling the global climate by releasing particles of sulphur in the upper atmosphere, which would reflect sunlight and heat back into space. A Nobel Prize-winning scientist has drawn up an emergency plan to save the world from global warming, by altering the chemical makeup of Earth’s upper atmosphere. Professor Paul Crutzen, who won a Nobel Prize in 1995 for his work on the hole in the ozone layer, believes that political attempts to limit man-made greenhouse gases are so pitiful that a radical contingency plan is needed. This is a complex issue but we think our report will give communities a powerful voice in any future decisions.”.
This should form a vital part of the long-term management of radioactive waste as the process moves to selecting sites and beyond.” Professor Gordon MacKerron, chairman of the committee on radioactive waste management, said: “The UK has been creating radioactive waste for 50 years without any clear idea of what to do with it “The issue has dragged on for too long. Today we will announce our final recommendations, which we are confident will, for the first time, provide a realistic strategy to deal with this problem. “It has taken an intensive two-and-a-half-year programme of engagement with the public, stakeholders and the scientific community to reach them. “The nature of scientific knowledge is such that there will always be levels of uncertainty associated with any method of disposing of radioactive waste. “However, there is considerably less uncertainty surrounding burying radioactive waste deep underground in stable geological formations than other options. “It is important that we act with urgency because identifying appropriate sites and then consulting on and building these deep storage facilities will take decades. This time lag means a long-term management strategy will require an interim storage period, as recommended by CoRWM.” The Society supports CoRWM’s recommendations that an independent body is set up and oversees the staged decision making process into site selection and beyond.
The report says: “Such a body should have a much stronger science and engineering capacity than CoRWM and also have public engagement and education capability.” Sir David added: “The management of radioactive waste is a national issue that will require a continuing need for an open public dialogue. Proposals to bury the UK’s existing radioactive waste deep underground should be acted on urgently and not delayed by calls for more scientific research, top scientists said today. The statement from the Royal Society – the UK’s national academy of science – comes as the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, an independent committee appointed by the Government, publishes its final recommendations today.
CoRWM published a draft series of proposals in April which the Royal Society said supported the scientific commungity’s consensus that geological disposal is a “feasible and low risk option.” It voiced its concern that CoRWM’s recommendation for more research and development into general uncertainties concerning geological disposal, “may appear inconsistent with CoRWM’s conclusion that sufficient confidence can already be placed in the long-term safety of this option.” Sir David Wallace, vice-president of the Royal Society said: “It is inevitable that a robust and flexible long-term management strategy will require further research but this must not be used as an excuse to delay the implementation of a disposal programme, including the process of identifying suitable sites. The temperature changes correlate with solar activity, and have done so since 1860, as far back as reliable records go.
Since solar activity is expected to decline soon, the implication is that global warning is a part of a temporary, natural climate cycle.MARK AUSTINMORDEN, SURREYSir: I wish to propose a competition for new ideas for making use of the higher temperatures we are going to suffer to generate electricity.KEN COHENLONDON NW6. And yes, at Christmas, the unknowing are caught out.ANGIE JEZARDLONDON E14 Natural cycle Sir: David Love (Letters, 26 July) is wrong when he states that the undoubted rising global temperatures are correlated with the rise in atmospheric CO2. For most of the period between 1945 and the mid-1970s, global temperatures fell, despite rises in CO2 levels. Certainly, many Muslims are of an ethnicity racists object to but that does not link the two.
The imprecision contributes to the worryingly common misconception that if one takes issue with religion one is a racist.SIMON CHASELONDON W4 Sized up in the US Sir: In the United States postal service, shape and size are a key element when calculating US postal charges (Letters, 29 July). A square envelope, for example, attracts a surcharge of 13 cents, because it has to be manually sorted. Sorry for being such an anorak, or should that be a combat jacket?DAVID BUTTERYDOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN Religion, not race Sir: Islam is not a race (“Muslims on front line as racism rises across EU”, 26 July). More than three months ago, The Independent included a free CD which was considered suitable only for those over 16, hence the check. The ammunition shown was in a metal-link belt, for use in a machinegun; bullets for an AK47 assault rifle are loaded individually into magazines.