Geoengineering Archives

Geoengineering

The Overshoot Commission Addresses Geoengineering

The Commission tries to make it OK to talk about – not do – solar geoengineering. Its report proposes a moratorium, coupled with efforts to carefully build knowledge.

In this, my third post on the recently released report of the Climate Overshoot Commission, I’ll discuss their treatment of the most challenging and controversial part of their mandate, Solar Geoengineering or Solar Radiation Modification (SRM). As I noted in my introductory post on the Commission, I served as an advisor to the Secretariat and …

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The Climate Overshoot Commission Releases its Report

A dozen global leaders weigh in on the risk of exceeding the Paris temperature targets and what it means for climate response.

The Climate Overshoot Commission recently completed its work, releasing its report at the United Nations last Thursday, September 14. This report comes in conjunction with the U.N. General Assembly and a collection of high-level climate and environment events, including the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, 18-19 Sept, and the Climate Ambition Summit, 20 Sept. The Climate …

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Climate Change is Finally Heating Up Politics – But Not in a Good Way

Pitting defence of our ‘way of life’ against climate policies is a recipe for division and inaction

Climate impacts are growing rapidly in this El Niño affected summer. Despite calls to declare a climate emergency, President Biden has responded only with new measures to help Americans cope with extreme heat. The measures announced include hazard alerts, improved prediction of heatwaves, funding for air-conditioning and cool centers for low income groups, and guidance …

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Comparing the Risks of Climate Change and Geoengineering

The OSTP has adopted a ‘risk-risk’ framing in its report on geoengineering research: will this help or hinder sound climate policy?

Last month’s report on solar geoengineering research from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) consolidated a shift in the discourse on this controversial technology. Over recent years advocates for more research have increasingly adopted a ‘risk-risk’ framing. As Gernot Wagner puts it in ‘Geoengineering: the Gamble’: “The decision is all about …

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U.S. Climate Law: A Broad & Rapidly Growing Field

There’s a lot of law relating to climate change. A lot!

In preparing to teach a course on climate law, I was really struck by how broad and rich the field has become. Back in the day, it was nearly all international law, but nowadays there’s a huge amount of U.S. domestic law. Most people, even those who work on the field, tend to focus on …

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Solar Geoengineering in the News — Again and Again

An update on the serious and the silly

Solar geoengineering has been prominent in the news lately. It looks like the long-predicted spike of attention to these potential climate responses may finally be starting – with many attendant opportunities for controversy and confusion. For background on solar geoengineering, why it’s important to research, and what the debates over it are, check out various …

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Should There Be a ‘Non-Use’ Agreement on Solar Geoengineering?

Why I signed the call for a non-use agreement, and what that might mean for research.

Although I’m a newbie at the Emmett Institute, I have been working on geoengineering for a decade now. I have heard countless arguments over whether and how solar geoengineering could be useful in the struggle to manage climate change. I have seen deeply misleading claims by both its supporters and detractors, many trying to coopt …

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This Climate Debate is a lot of Hot Air

Geoengineering is having a moment. But much of the media coverage is failing to capture the actual debate.

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about geoengineering – the various scientific theories and governance ideas that could eventually lead to technological interventions to help cool the planet. A weather balloon stunt in Mexico by a small startup called Make Sunsets generated a lot of hot headlines, even though that solar geoengineering “experiment” was so …

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Tightening the Net

Tackling climate procrastination by closing the loopholes in ‘net-zero’ climate goals

The global stampede to adopt net-zero climate goals continues unabated. As a goal net-zero is achieved when any residual carbon emissions are counter-balanced fully by dedicated carbon removal. Delivered at a global level, this would stabilise global temperatures. Almost 70% of states (accounting for 90% of the world’s economic activity) have adopted net-zero goals, as …

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A Dangerous Disruption

A startup firm proposes to sell dubious carbon credits from stratospheric aerosol injection

Last week, MIT’s “Technology Review” reported that a small startup firm is proposing to spray reflective aerosols in the stratosphere commercially as a climate corrective. (Stratospheric Aerosol Injection or SAI.) Previously announced online in the Google Geoengineering Group, the firm is small and new, operating with a claimed total of $750K of venture financing. They …

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A $1 Billion Investment in the ‘New Forest Economy’

A global group of governors just issued a call-to-action for more flexible funding for forest protection. Here’s why that’s important.

Is “carbon management” just another COP-out?

Fudging the differences between carbon capture and carbon removal risks weakening climate action

Addressing Corruption In Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains

New CLEE/NRGI issue brief offers solutions

The New Frontier of Methane Regulation 

Nations, companies, and NGOs are targeting methane like never before using satellite data. A new UCLA paper outlines what that could mean for regulation. 

When Communities Take Over Their Energy Systems

Is Local Control A Good Thing? It’s Complicated . . .

Climate Change and the Hard-Headed Realist

Henry Kissinger showed that you don’t have to have a shred of idealism to favor climate action.

Why Do Small Changes in Global Temperature Matter So Much?

One problem is that we’ve pursued optimization rather than robustness.

Climate Backlash

Vicious attacks on climate progress are on the rise.

A Guide to Environmental Law Centers

There are twenty and the list is growing.

U.S.-China Climate Deal Means Good Vibes for COP28

Here are key takeaways from the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis ahead of the UN climate talks in Dubai.

A Guide to Environmental Law Centers

There are twenty and the list is growing.

Evolving Air Quality Standards

The standards have gotten tougher. Compliance still lags.

Who Should Own Our Electric Utilities?

Voters in Maine rejected a ballot initiative to buy out private utilities, but the campaign reflects a growing interest in public power.

Climate Policy in the World’s Fourth Largest Country

In case you’re wondering, that would be Indonesia in terms of population.

How to Get to Zero Emissions at the Ports

A new report by UCLA and UC Berkeley examines policy solutions to accelerate deployment of zero-emission cargo handling equipment at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Geoengineering

The Commission tries to make it OK to talk about – not do – solar geoengineering. Its report proposes a moratorium, coupled with efforts to carefully build knowledge.

A dozen global leaders weigh in on the risk of exceeding the Paris temperature targets and what it means for climate response.

Pitting defence of our ‘way of life’ against climate policies is a recipe for division and inaction

The OSTP has adopted a ‘risk-risk’ framing in its report on geoengineering research: will this help or hinder sound climate policy?

There’s a lot of law relating to climate change. A lot!

An update on the serious and the silly

Why I signed the call for a non-use agreement, and what that might mean for research.

Geoengineering is having a moment. But much of the media coverage is failing to capture the actual debate.

Tackling climate procrastination by closing the loopholes in ‘net-zero’ climate goals

A startup firm proposes to sell dubious carbon credits from stratospheric aerosol injection

TRENDING

A global group of governors just issued a call-to-action for more flexible funding for forest protection. Here’s why that’s important.

Fudging the differences between carbon capture and carbon removal risks weakening climate action

New CLEE/NRGI issue brief offers solutions

Nations, companies, and NGOs are targeting methane like never before using satellite data. A new UCLA paper outlines what that could mean for regulation.

Is Local Control A Good Thing? It’s Complicated . . .

Henry Kissinger showed that you don’t have to have a shred of idealism to favor climate action.

One problem is that we’ve pursued optimization rather than robustness.

Vicious attacks on climate progress are on the rise.

There are twenty and the list is growing.

Here are key takeaways from the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis ahead of the UN climate talks in Dubai.

There are twenty and the list is growing.

The standards have gotten tougher. Compliance still lags.

Voters in Maine rejected a ballot initiative to buy out private utilities, but the campaign reflects a growing interest in public power.

In case you’re wondering, that would be Indonesia in terms of population.

A new report by UCLA and UC Berkeley examines policy solutions to accelerate deployment of zero-emission cargo handling equipment at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Some thoughts for Environmental History Week.

Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms are technically no longer plaintiffs in the lawsuit they launched. But their water war wages on.

Here are key takeaways from the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis ahead of the UN climate talks in Dubai.

Vicious attacks on climate progress are on the rise.

Is Local Control A Good Thing? It’s Complicated . . .

Nations, companies, and NGOs are targeting methane like never before using satellite data. A new UCLA paper outlines what that could mean for regulation. 