If, in the wake of our utter failure to reduce emissions, we fail to agree on geoengineering because of political squabbling, with the consequence that we all just bake slowly, I will just give up on everyone forever. Not that that will matter much at that point…
On the other hand, unlike emissions reduction, geoengineering can at least in theory the executed unilaterally. Wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what it comes down to in the end.
Not, mind you, that I think geoengineering is a great idea. I just think it will turn out to be the least bad of several lousy alternatives.
The idea of cooling the climate with stratospheric sunshades that would shield the planet from the sun’s warming rays moved up the international agenda this week, with mixed results. On the one hand, new research suggested that it is theoretically possible to fine-tune such a shield without some of its potentially damaging consequences. Publication of this work coincided with a proposal at the biennial un Environment Assembly (unea), held in Nairobi, Kenya, for an expert review of such geoengineering methods. This was the highest-level discussion of the topic so far. On the other hand, the more than 170 nations involved could not arrive at a consensus. In a fitting illustration of the heat surrounding geoengineering, the proposal was withdrawn at the eleventh hour.