40-15

A recent spate of news attention regarding climate focuses on “radiation management.” Without mentioning why “radiation management” matters, declaring only a need for “radiation management,” a form of geo-engineering, to deal with “global warming.” The inability of major news organizations to convey why they believe “radiation management” is important–other than to say we need it because we cannot control our CO₂ output–is shameful. Why would an editor not ask, “Why control the energy our atmosphere allows out into space?” Regardless, the media has begun chanting a tune. That tune tells us to rebalance the heat energy radiating from the planet into space without explaining why that matters to us.

My first notion: Ignorance…Silly me.

The geo-engineering lobby claims addressing “global warming” means we should work to reflect the sun’s energy back into space rather than let it over-energize (warm) the Earth. Meaning, the reason the geo-engineering folks are pushing “radiation management” is to address anthropogenic forcing of the radiative balance–which we have driven out of bounds through our use of fossil fuels.

Fact is, managing anthropogenic forcing of the radiative balance is the key to getting a handle on the climate crisis. That part is correct. On the other hand, fostering a geo-engineering plan of “radiation management” that spits a zillion, zillion little particles of sulfites into the atmosphere to manage “global warming” is wrong. First, we are performing a science experiment–on our entire planet. Second, the particles that perform the actual “radiation management” are between .3 and .8 microns in size. EPA and medical professionals say anything under 2.5 microns is unhealthy–for everyone. Third, the atmosphere has a lag time in response to new particulate matter and so we will not know how much “radiation management” (a form of geo-engineering) is too much until it is too late. Fourth, the safe way to solve the problem of rebalancing the radiative output from Earth is to cut human (anthropogenic) emissions (forcing) that attack the (radiative) balance.

An analogy: Removing CO₂ emission is like letting the air out of a balloon about to pop. Radiation management is like injecting new stuff into the balloon, on the hope that untested technology will keep the balloon from popping, thereby allowing more (economic) emissions to further expand the balloon.

Fifth, without an atmosphere warming our planet–life on this planet would be impossible for humans. Our atmospheric blanket keeps us warm. Without it, our planet would be 33.7 degrees C cooler. So if we screw up “radiation management” we might easily find ourselves worse off, living on a planet 10 degrees C cooler (20 degrees F). Do we really want to mess with the mess by taking a Ready, Fire! Aim, strategy–for the entire planet?

My thinking: geo-engineering our home planet, when we have no place else to go, is just stupid… Risk Management 101 says the safest, most reliable strategy to be our course of action. The real no-regrets policy has always been cutting GHG emissions–now.

Even so, we have dallied too long to allow any transition to be smooth. The delay, due to misinformation from the media and others bent on destroying the political will to face the climate crisis, will cost us lives, time, and money. The science has been settled for years.

My sense of the irony: Does it seem strange to anyone else the same people who are telling us to question the validity of the scientific method now promote science–in the form of radiation management–as an answer to a climate crisis they once described as, “Chicken Little telling us the sky is falling?”

My knowledge: Rapidly reducing our output of GHGs is the answer…We do not have fifty more years to sit around debating options. We have already wasted twenty years arguing the concept of economic evolution, destroying a smooth transition, putting millions at risk. To those that would say the climate crisis is not anthropogenic forcing of the radiative balance but a population problem, I’d say fine. Move your equity positions into corporations that will prosper and get out of the way.

We can still mitigate parts of the climate crisis, but the clock is against us. Without effective action soon, societies will enter triage mode (Cave-lite). After that, the tipping point completes.

Idiotic science experiments will make it all worse.

Game.

Set.

Match.

Planet Earth advances to the next round…(click)