Geoengineering: Turning Problems Into Solutions

    With all the bad hype that carbon dioxide gets, people sometimes forget that its an essential part of advanced life on Earth. I'm not saying that the excess of carbon dioxide isn't a potential threat, but that doesn't mean its not manageable, or even a utilizable resource. Much in the same way technology has made possible the digestion of garbage into fuel, there may be potential for finding a way to sequester, if not benefit from, carbon dioxide emissions.

   Geoengineering is the process of manipulating the planetary environment in an attempt to counteract man-made climate change (Royal Society, 2009). This is possible in two ways, one of them being intuitive: suck up the carbon. Easy enough, but expensive. Some estimates guess carbon capturing would cost up to $1,000 per ton of carbon dioxide (House et. al, 2010). Nonetheless, the technology we have may be enough to adopt a sense of intelligent optimism about the future of climate change mitigation.

   The second kind of geoengineering has no direct effect on carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, but instead regulates global warming symptomatically. Solar Radiation Management refers to a number of "techniques" which according to the Royal Society "reflect a small percentage of the sun's light and heat back into space." This is possible in a number of ways: covering the desert with reflective material, simulating a volcanic eruption with atmospheric aerosols, or installing a satellite which reflects sunlight back into space before it even reaches the Earth. These techniques are still mostly theoretical and relatively complex, but that doesn't stop scientists from investigating what affects they could have on our planet.

    The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project (GeoMIP) is the product of these intrepid researchers' labor, and the findings of their project indirectly illuminate the potential for the planetary benefits of carbon dioxide. The GeoMIP climate models found that when excess carbon dioxide is paired with solar radiation management, one result is increased ecosystem productivity. 

   Forests around the world depend on carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, but excessive heat puts stress on plants, limiting their growth. Subsequently, by complementing the greenhouse effect with a planetary shade cloth, forests around the world boom in growth. Carbon dioxide could be not only be stored in trees and plants, but provide support to all the forest animal species that depend on vegetation for survival.

   Of course, a number of disclaimers should follow the relative simplicity that climate simulation offer, regarding the complexity of climate science, ecological systems, and political mechanisms of change. However, this way of looking at our so-called problems places them in a new light. Perhaps solutions to climate change can ultimately benefit, rather than exclusively put strain upon nature and society. In conclusion, keep informed, stay engaged, and look forward to the self-determined natural history of tomorrow!