HR: 1340h
AN: GC33A-0959    [Abstracts]
TI: Screening Level Analysis of Several Geo-engineering Techniques Intended to Mitigate Global Warming
AU: * Mills, W B
EM: bill.mills@tetratech.com
AF: Tetra Tech Inc, 3746 Mt. Diablo Blvd Suite 300, Lafayette, CA 94549, United States
AB: Within the past few years, a number of papers have appeared in the literature that describe alternative geo- engineering techniques that could be used to supplement more mainstream options to mitigate global warming. An example of a mainstream option is carbon capture and storage, and an example of a geo-engineering approach is an orbiting satellite that provides a sun-shade to earth. These supplemental geo-engineering techniques, which are controversial for reasons such as they appear to allow emissions of carbon to continue unabated, are really intended to bridge the time gap between where we are today and where we need to be in terms of the implementation of mainstream mitigation schemes. Allowing that geo-engineering techniques are controversial, and could cause more harm than good, there are still reasons to examine them. As an example, would it be possible to "uncommitt" from projected sea level rise that already threatens low-lying countries by reducing incoming solar radiation? For this poster, then, several alternative geo-engineering techniques (which can broadly be classified as space-based and earth-based) will be examined. A screening level global equilibrium radiation model will be used to examine the global temperature response to various alternatives, implemented at scales proposed by their developers. The equilibrium model will provide an estimate of global temperature change once the perturbed energy fluxes have returned to a balanced state. Thus the time frame of radiation adjustment will not be evaluated. Further, since we know that greenhouse gas emissions will likely continue to increase for decades into the future, the efficacy of any geo-engineering scheme could diminish over time unless appropriate modifications to the operation of those schemes are made. This aspect of time evolution of geo-engineering will also be discussed. Finally, since there does not appear to be a "silver bullet" solution to climate change, either from mainstream approaches or otherwise, a brief analysis will be provided of the feasibility of more than one geo-engineering scheme becoming operational simultaneously, or nearly so.
DE: 1630 Impacts of global change (1225)
DE: 3305 Climate change and variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513)
SC: Global Environmental Change [GC]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting