PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored

2013-12-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Hannah Hickey
hickeyh@uw.edu
206-543-2580
University of Washington
Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored Hacking the Earth's climate to counteract global warming – a subject that elicits strong reactions from both sides – is the topic of a December special issue of the journal Climatic Change. A dozen research papers include the most detailed description yet of the proposed Oxford Principles to govern geoengineering research, as well as surveys on the technical hurdles, ethics and regulatory issues related to deliberately manipulating the planet's climate.

University of Washington researchers led the three-year project to gather leading thinkers and publish a snapshot of a field that they say is rapidly gaining credibility in the scientific community.

"In the past five years or so, geoengineering has moved from the realm of quackery to being the subject of scientific research," said co-editor Rob Wood, a UW associate professor of atmospheric sciences. "We wanted to contribute to a serious intellectual discourse."

Creating clouds over the ocean that would reflect back sunlight is the subject of a chapter by Wood, whose research is on the interaction among air pollution, clouds and climate. He and co-author Tom Ackerman, a UW atmospheric sciences professor, look at what it would take to test the idea with a field experiment.

"I don't want to prove it right, I just want to know if it's feasible," Wood said. "If you look at the projections for how much the Earth's air temperature is supposed to warm over the next century, it is frightening. We should at least know the options. Is geoengineering feasible if there were to be what people call a 'climate emergency'?"

Also explored in the journal issue is the idea of injecting reflective particles into the stratosphere, subject of a 2006 paper in Climatic Change by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen and central to Seattle entrepreneur Nathan Myhrvold's proposed StratoShield. Yet another idea is iron fertilization of ocean microbes, though Wood said preliminary tests suggest this is not as successful at drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as its proponents had originally thought.

How to govern geoengineering is a topic of hot debate. In one paper, U.K. authors flesh out the so-called Oxford Principles, which suggest how geoengineering could be regulated as a global public good. The five principles described in the paper concern the research, publication, assessment and deployment of geoengineering techniques.

Many of the authors spoke at the UW during a 2011 seminar series, and more attended a 2012 workshop where they developed their paper ideas.

While discussions were civil, Wood said, the contributors didn't all agree. A UW philosopher questions whether geoengineering can even be described in the Oxford Principles as a global public good.

"Just spraying sulfates into the stratosphere is not the kind of thing that necessarily benefits everyone, so in that sense it seems a mistake to call it a global public good," said co-editor Stephen Gardiner, a UW philosophy professor who has written a book on ethics and climate change. There are decisions about how to conduct sulfate spraying, he writes, and potential tradeoffs between short-term benefits and long-term risks.

Gardiner also questions whether something should be done in people's benefit but without their permission, and if accepting geoengineering as a necessary evil ignores other science or policy options.

He's not the only social scientist to be looking at climate issues.

"A lot of people, from across the academy, are getting interested in the Anthropocene – the idea that we may have entered a new geological era where human influence is a dominant feature, and what that means for various issues," Gardiner said.

The collection aims to prompt a serious academic discussion the editors say has so far been lacking.

"It's an interdisciplinary discussion with an emphasis on the research angle – whether and how we should be researching geoengineering," said co-editor Lauren Hartzell-Nichols, a UW lecturer in philosophy. "We hope it helps people think about this issue in a more interdisciplinary and integrated way."

INFORMATION:

The seminars and workshop that led to the issue's creation were supported by the UW College of the Environment.

For more information, contact Wood at 206-543-1203 or robwood@atmos.washington.edu and Gardiner at 206-221-6459 or smgard@uw.edu.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds

2013-12-18
TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds The nutritional value of food and drinks advertised on children's television programs is worse than food shown in ads during general air time, according to University of Illinois at Chicago ...

Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior

2013-12-18
Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior VIDEO: Watch the flipping conformations in a pair of phenylalanine ...

DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle

2013-12-18
DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have created a new type of molecular motor made of DNA and demonstrated its potential by using it to transport a nanoparticle along the length of a carbon nanotube. The design ...

CHOC researchers identify technique to reduce childrens' post-op pain after high-risk surgery

2013-12-18
CHOC researchers identify technique to reduce childrens' post-op pain after high-risk surgery Study shows encouraging results for improving postoperative pain management and reducing the need for pain medicine after major pediatric urology procedures Orange, Calif. ...

EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen

2013-12-18
EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed in normal colonic cells and is activated by specific peptide growth factors that regulate cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. ...

Hubble watches super star create holiday light show

2013-12-18
Hubble watches super star create holiday light show This festive NASA Hubble Space Telescope image resembles a holiday wreath made of sparkling lights. The bright southern hemisphere star RS Puppis, at the center of the image, is swaddled in a gossamer ...

World Health Organization study: Atrial fibrillation is a growing global health concern

2013-12-18
World Health Organization study: Atrial fibrillation is a growing global health concern LOS ANGELES (Dec. 17, 2013) – Atrial fibrillation, long considered the most common condition leading to an irregular heartbeat, is a growing and serious global health ...

Study: Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system

2013-12-18
Study: Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system PORTLAND, Ore. — Medical science has known for years that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol actually have a reduced risk of death. In general, they are healthier and have better cardiovascular ...

Muscle-invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancers arise from different stem cells

2013-12-18
Muscle-invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancers arise from different stem cells 'Knowing the risk can help doctors and patients make informed treatment decisions,' researcher says Bladder cancer will kill upward of 170,000 people worldwide this year, ...

New hypertension guidelines offer practical, clinical information for doctors and patients around the globe

2013-12-18
New hypertension guidelines offer practical, clinical information for doctors and patients around the globe Presented by the American Society of Hypertension Inc. and the International Society of Hypertension High blood pressure affects approximately ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Gene therapy delivers lasting immune protection in children with rare disorder

New world record set for fastest human whole genome sequencing, representing significant step towards revolutionizing genomic care in the NICU

Shedding light on materials in the physical, biological sciences

Study finds emotional tweets by politicians don’t always win followers and can backfire with diverse audiences

Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards announce 2025 Coach of the Year Award watch list

$3 million National Institute on Aging grant will provide much-needed support to underserved dementia caregivers

Study links obesity-driven fatty acids to breast cancer, warns against high-fat diets like keto

Did lead limit brain and language development in Neanderthals and other extinct hominids?

New study reveals alarming mental health and substance use disparities among LGBTQ+ youth

U.K. food insecurity is associated with mental health conditions

At least eight bat species commute or forage over pig farms in Northern Italy

Ancient teeth reveal mammalian responses to climate change in Southeast Asia

Targeting young adults beginning university may be especially effective for encouraging pro-environmental behaviors

This robotic skin allows tiny robots to navigate complex, fragile environments

‘Metabots’ shapeshift from flat sheets into hundreds of structures

Starting university boosts recycling and greener travel, a University of Bath study finds

How cilia choreograph their “Mexican wave”, enabling marine creatures to swim

Why women's brains face higher risk: scientists pinpoint X-chromosome gene behind MS and Alzheimer's

Ancient lead exposure shaped evolution of human brain

How the uplift of East Africa shaped its ecosystems: Climate model simulations reveal Miocene landscape transformation

Human Organ Chip technology sets stage for pan-influenza A CRISPR RNA therapies

Research alert: Bacterial chatter slows wound healing

American Society of Anesthesiologists names Patrick Giam, M.D., FASA, new president

High-entropy alloy nanozyme ROS biocatalyst treating tendinopathy via up-regulation of PGAM5/FUNDC1/GPX4 pathway

SwRI’s Dr. Pablo Bueno named AIAA Associate Fellow

Astronomers detect radio signals from a black hole tearing apart a star – outside a galactic center

Locking carbon in trees and soils could help ‘stabilize climate for centuries’ – but only if combined with underground storage

New research shows a tiny, regenerative worm could change our understanding of healing

Australia’s rainforests first to switch from carbon sink to source

First-trimester mRNA COVID-19 vaccination and risk of major congenital anomalies

[Press-News.org] Hack the planet? Geoengineering research, ethics, governance explored