Engineering: turning ideas into reality - Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee Contents


Memorandum 157

Submission from Dr Ken Caldeira, Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution

THE CURRENT AND POTENTIAL ROLES OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERS IN GEO-ENGINEERING SLUTIONS TO CLIMATE CHANGE

  1.  We need a climate engineering research and development plan. The widespread desire for the "good life" afforded by economic growth and development places us increasingly at risk of profound and widespread climate damage. Much of the developing world seeks to emulate the coal-powered development of China and India, while those of us in the developed world seek ways to kick-start our relatively moribund, fossil-fueled economies. We may hope or even expect that we will collectively agree to delay some of this economic growth and development and invest instead in costlier energy systems that don't threaten Earth's climate. Nevertheless, prudence demands that we consider what we might do if cuts in carbon dioxide emissions prove too little or too late to avoid unacceptable climate damage.

  2.  Only fools find joy in the prospect of climate engineering. It's also foolish to think that risk of significant climate damage can be denied or wished away. Perhaps we can depend on the transcendent human capacity for self-sacrifice when faced with unprecedented, shared, long-term risk, and therefore can depend on future reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. But just in case, we'd better have a plan.

  3.  Existing studies of climate engineering demonstrate that some geo-engineering schemes may have the potential to diminish climate risk. Research into science, technology, and socio-political systems is needed to determine whether such risk reduction could be realized. If so, research will be needed to develop these risk reduction strategies.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ACTIVITY, AND RESEARCH FUNDING, RELATED TO GEO-ENGINEERING, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, AND INTERFACE WITH, THIS FIELD AND RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

  4.  A climate engineering research plan should be built around important questions rather than preconceived answers. It should anticipate and embrace innovation and recognize that a portfolio of divergent but defensible paths is most likely to reveal a successful path forward; we should be wary of assuming that we've already thought of the most promising approaches or the most important unintended consequences.

  5.  A climate engineering research plan must include both scientific and engineering components.

  6.  Science is needed to address critical questions, among them: How effective would various climate engineering proposals be at achieving their climate goals? What unintended outcomes might result? How might these unintended outcomes affect both human and natural systems?

  7.  Engineering is needed both to build deployable systems and to keep the science focused on what's technically feasible.

  8.  Initially, emphasis should be placed on science over engineering. But if the science continues to indicate that climate engineering has the potential to diminish climate risk, increasing emphasis should be placed on building the systems and field-testing them so they'll be ready as an option.

  9.  Because there are important societal decisions to be made regarding climate engineering, open public communication is necessary at all stages of research-closed scientific meetings on climate engineering must become a thing of the past.

  10.  Climate engineering research programs should be internationalized and scientific discussion and results shared openly by all.

  11.  Climate engineering (ie, geoengineering) research should be centred in the university environment. Initially, until options are better evaluated and clarified, it is better to have many small projects rather than a small number of large projects.

  12.  Much of the fundamental climate and chemical science associated with geo-engineering (ie, climate engineering) is intertwined with the science of environmental consequences of greenhouse gases. Thus, many of the same institutions and researchers engage in science related to greenhouse gases could be engaged in climate engineering research.

  13.  Policy related studies (ie, issues of governance, social acceptance, etc) are closely intertwined with policies related to greenhouse gas reduction. Thus, many of the same institutions and researchers engage in policy-related studies related to greenhouse gas emissions reduction could be engaged in policy-relevant human dimensions studies related to climate engineering.

THE PROVISION OF UNIVERSITY COURSES AND OTHER FORMS OF TRAINING RELEVANT TO GEO-ENGINEERING IN THE UK

  14.  Climate engineering (ie, geoengineering) research should be centered in the university environment because this way research dollars will provide the maximum educational benefit.

  15.  Climate engineering research and training involves both the science of global change (ie, atmospheric physics and chemistry, carbon-cycle science, marine sciences) and the engineering of possible deployment systems. Thus, it would make sense to spread research and training funds across a wide array of academic disciplines. Much of the research and training would likely be interdisciplinary in character.

THE STATUS OF GEO-ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES IN GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA

  16.  Geoengineering technologies are largely in the conceptual stage across all sectors.

GEO-ENGINEERING AND ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE ENGINEERING PROFESSION

  17.  Climate engineering represents a new way to attract young people to address our climate challenges.

  18.  Climate engineering research, in many cases, could be conducted by the same institutions and researchers focusing on approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will give students the opportunity to examine and evaluate a broad range of approaches to addressing the climate challenge.

THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN INFORMING POLICY-MAKERS AND THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE POTENTIAL COSTS, BENEFITS AND RESEARCH STATUS OF DIFFERENT GEO-ENGINEERING SCHEMES

  19.  Scientific research and engineering development should be divorced from moral posturing and policy prescription. As scientists and engineers, we can say what is and what can be.

  20.  Armed with this information, scientists and engineers can join, as citizens, with their fellow citizens and policy makers to discuss what ought to be done.

October 2008





 
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