Geoengineering Earth's Climate: Resetting the Thermostat
AUTHOR’S NOTE GEOENGINEERING IS A FASCINATING FIELD OF STUDY Some say it is the most important topic of our time With the effects of climate change creeping into every aspect of our planet it is easy to see why While many geoengineering ideas are controversial the fact that we are discussing them and researching them shows a collective spirit and one that is interested in resetting Earth’s thermostat I encourage everyone who reads this book to continue learning about this controversial topic Research Theorize Engage in debate Devise your own ideas if you think you have one that might work It is the job of the entire planet to solve this issue I would also like to thank those leaders in the field who took time out of their busy schedules to speak with me about their projects The list includes Dr Peter Eisenberger Global Thermostat Dr Clare Heyward University of Warwick Dr Richard Houghton Woods Hole Research Center Dr David Keith Harvard University Dr Piers Forster University of Leeds Dr John Sterman Massachusetts Institute of Technology They were all happy to share their beliefs and passion for their subjects with me and by extension with the readers of this book I am very grateful to them JENNIFER SWANSON 5
there there ONE AN ABRUPT CHANGE IN CLIMATE RISING SEAS Flooded islands Catastrophic droughts tornadoes and hurricanes Scientists say that these trends which have been increasing in the twenty-first century are caused by climate change created by the warming of Earth Most scientists also say that humans have caused climate change by burning fossil fuels coal petroleum and natural gas which release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere As levels of these gases increase the planet grows warmer The higher temperatures have led to extreme weather events Most experts agree that if humans don’t take action to prevent
Earth from warming further the climate will undergo even more drastic changes And these will ultimately affect every living thing on Earth What can humans do to counteract climate change Some engineers propose using geoengineering to tackle the problem The prefix geo means relating to Earth so geoengineering means engineering Earth A more formal definition of geoengineering is the active transformation of Earth’s climate through human intervention or using technology to reverse the effects of climate change Sounds good right Maybe so But geoengineering is one of the most complex and controversial topics in the world Messing with Earth’s climate is a big deal and could have lasting consequences both positive and negative CRA-CK Tiny cracks have appeared in a glacier a large body of moving ice along Evigheds Fjord in western Greenland In the past ice and snow completely covered the towering mountains that surround the fjord But in the twenty-first century dense rock is visible underneath the ice The extremely cold weather that allows Greenland’s coastal mountains Chunks of ice break off a glacier on the southeastern coast of greenland and fall into the Denmark Strait Warmer air and water temperatures are melting ice in earth’s polar regions causing sea levels to rise An Abrupt ChAnge in ClimA te 7
