August 2015

22.08.2015

# New Publications

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Craik, Neil (2015): International EIA Law and Geoengineering: Do Emerging Technologies Require Special Rules? (forthcoming)

Craik, Neil (2015): International EIA Law and Geoengineering: Do Emerging Technologies Require Special Rules? (forthcoming).

"This article explores the adequacy of the international rules on environmental impact assessment (EIA) to contribute to geoengineering governance with a focus on three fundamental challenges. First, the near universal trigger for EIA is the likelihood of significant environmental impact, which may prove to be insufficiently precautionary in light of current risk preferences surrounding geoengineering. Second, the scope of EIA has traditionally focused narrowly on the assessment of direct physical impacts, however many of the concerns that geoengineering research raises relate to environmental and social risks associated with downstream technological implications."

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22.08.2015

# New Publications

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Crook, J.; et al. (2015): A Comparison of Temperature and Precipitation Responses to Different Earth Radiation Management Geoengineering Schemes

Crook, J.; Jackson, L. S.; Osprey, S. M.; Forster, P. M. (2015): A Comparison of Temperature and Precipitation Responses to Different Earth Radiation Management Geoengineering Schemes. In J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., pp. n/a-n/a. DOI 10.1002/2015JD023269

"We compare six different radiation management schemes that use surface, troposphere and stratosphere interventions in a single climate model in which we projected future climate from 2020 to 2099 based on RCP4.5. We analyze the surface air temperature responses to determine how effective the schemes are at returning temperature to its 1986-2005 climatology and analyze precipitation responses to compare side effects."

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22.08.2015

# Media

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The Grist: Can Geoengineering Save Us from Climate Change?

"Despite the cleverness of geoengineering, one frequently encountered counterargument is that geoengineering alone is not a sustainable solution in the long term, as it does nothing to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases pumped into the atmosphere and can often have negative side effects on the environment."

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22.08.2015

# New Publications

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Grandey, B. S.; Wang, C. (2015): Enhanced marine sulphur emissions offset global warming and impact rainfall

Grandey, B. S.; Wang, C. (2015): Enhanced marine sulphur emissions offset global warming and impact rainfall. In Scientific reports 5, p. 13055–13055. DOI 10.1038/srep13055

"Artificial fertilisation of the ocean has been proposed as a possible geoengineering method for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The associated increase in marine primary productivity may lead to an increase in emissions of dimethyl sulphide (DMS), the primary source of sulphate aerosol over remote ocean regions, potentially causing direct and cloud-related indirect aerosol effects on climate."

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21.08.2015

# Media

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The Conversation: No Escaping the Blue Planet

"So from the cruel fantasy of Plan C we are obliged to return to Plan A, and do all we can to slow the geological clock that has ticked over into the Anthropocene. If, on this Earthen beast provoked, a return to the halcyon days of an undisturbed climate is no longer possible, at least we can resolve to calm the agitations of “the wakened giant” and so make this new and unwanted epoch one in which humans can survive."

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20.08.2015

# Media

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Eureka: 'Diamonds from the sky' approach turns CO2 into valuable products

"Finding a technology to shift carbon dioxide (CO2 ), the most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, from a climate change problem to a valuable commodity has long been a dream of many scientists and government officials. Now, a team of chemists says they have developed a technology to economically convert atmospheric CO2 directly into highly valued carbon nanofibers for industrial and consumer products."

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20.08.2015

# Media

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Phys.org: Study finds geoengineering technique would not stop sea level rise

Media response to Applegate, Patrick J.; Keller, Klaus (2015). "Albedo modification, an emerging technology with the potential to offset some aspects of climate change, shouldn't be counted on as a short-term solution to stop rising global sea levels, according to a new study from Penn State geoscientists."

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20.08.2015

# New Publications

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Applegate, Patrick J.; Keller, Klaus (2015): How effective is albedo modification (solar radiation management geoengineering) in preventing sea-level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet?

Applegate, Patrick J.; Keller, Klaus (2015): How effective is albedo modification (solar radiation management geoengineering) in preventing sea-level rise from the Greenland Ice Sheet? In Environ. Res. Lett. 10 (8), p. 84018–84018. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084018

"Here, we assess AM's ability to reduce GIS sea-level contributions over decades to centuries, using a simplified ice sheet model. We drive this model using a business-as-usual base temperature forcing scenario, as well as scenarios that reflect AM-induced temperature stabilization or temperature drawdown."

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20.08.2015

# New Publications

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Bozzi, E.; et al. (2015): Mimicking biochar-albedo feedback in complex Mediterranean agricultural landscapes

Bozzi, E.; Genesio, L.; Toscano, P.; Pieri, M.; Miglietta, F. (2015): Mimicking biochar-albedo feedback in complex Mediterranean agricultural landscapes. In Environ. Res. Lett. 10 (8), p. 84014–84014. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084014

"However, some side effects of large-scale biochar application need to be investigated. In particular a massive use of a low-reflecting material on large cropland areas may impact the climate via changes in surface albedo. Twelve years of MODIS-derived albedo data were analysed for three pairs of selected agricultural sites in central Italy."

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20.08.2015

# Calls & events

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Call for Abstracts: Climate Change, Capitalism, Geoengineering (ISA)

Deadline: 30. September 2015

CfP for the International Sociological Association Conference. "This session addresses many of the questions that are left out of the discussion, such as: What is the relationship between capitalism and climate geoengineering? Is geoengineering a necessary consequence of capitalism or can it be avoided in an ecologically modernized regime of ‘green’ capitalism?"

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