Panel Discusses Emerging Climate Science Challenges

The nascent science of climate geoengineering must get federal funding to increase its credibility as a solution for addressing global warming, a panel of experts said at a Newsmaker press conference April 16. Geoengineering refers to the intentional manipulation of the Earth's climate to counteract the effects of global warming.

House Science Committee staff member Chris King, journalist/author Jeff Goodell and Sam Thernstrom. head of AEI's geoengineering project, detailed challenges facing the issue.

Thernstrom posed six questions. The questions looked at what geoengineering is, why it should be considered, how it would be done, whether it could it work and be safe.

Thernstrom said geoengineering is not an alternative to mitigation or adaptation. A successful climate policy will depend on emissions reductions, adaptation, and some degree of geoengineering, he said.

Goodell said he wrote book on the subject because of the political stalemates on domestic and international climate efforts. He said more federal research is essential to understand and address potential risks and capabilities. He added that human apathy may be our biggest enemy and stressed the importance of understanding that we can decide what kind of a world we live in.

Both Thernstrom and Goodell expressed concern and discussed political and ethical controversies geoengineering, but also cited the lack of knowledge about it.

King focused on the current action in Congress, including a series of hearings to look intogeoengineering research, political and policy questions. King said while there are many questions to answer and many uncertainties, it will be important for Congress to investigate climate geoengineering to get ahead of the fast-moving issue. All three panelists agreed the issue is intriguing, but each warned there is much to still learn before we will know enough to be sure about the issue.