Month: April 2011

Hommel, René; Graf, Hans-F (2011): Modelling the size distribution of geoengineered stratospheric aerosols

Hommel, René; Graf, Hans-F (2011): Modelling the size distribution of geoengineered stratospheric aerosols. In: Atmosph. Sci. Lett 12 (2), S. 168–175. DOI: 10.1002/asl.285

“A modelling study on the growth of geoengineered stratospheric aerosols reveals that in steady state a large fraction of aerosols grow to micrometre sizes so that the sedimentation of aerosols might limit the geoengineered aerosol layer’s ability to achieve its target cooling effect.”

Joseph, Renu; Zeng, Ning (2011): Seasonally Modulated Tropical Drought Induced by Volcanic Aerosol

Joseph, Renu; Zeng, Ning (2011): Seasonally Modulated Tropical Drought Induced by Volcanic Aerosol. In: J. Climate 24 (8), S. 2045–2060. DOI: 10.1175/2009JCLI3170.1

“Major volcanic events with a high loading of stratospheric aerosol have long been known to cause cooling, but their impact on precipitation has only recently been emphasized, especially as an analog for potential geoengineering of climate. […]”

Carlin, A. (2011), ‘A Multidisciplinary, Science-Based Approach to the Economics of Climate Change’

Carlin, A. (2011), ‘A Multidisciplinary, Science-Based Approach to the Economics of Climate Change’, IJERPH, 8/4: 985–1031.

“Economic analyses of environmental mitigation and other interdisciplinary public policy issues can be much more useful if they critically examine what other disciplines have to say, insist on using the most relevant observational data and the scientific method, and examine lower cost alternatives to the change proposed. These general principles are illustrated by applying them to the case of climate change mitigation, one of the most interdisciplinary of public policy issues. […] The risk of catastrophic anthropogenic global warming appears to be so low that it is not currently worth doing anything to try to control it, including geoengineering.”

Goes, M., Keller, K., and Tuana, N. (2011), ‘The economics (or lack thereof) of aerosol geoengineering’

Goes, Marlos; Tuana, Nancy; Keller, Klaus (2011): The economics (or lack thereof) of aerosol geoengineering. In: Climatic Change 109 (3-4), pp. 719–744.

“Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are changing the Earth’s climate and impose substantial risks for current and future generations. What are scientifically sound, economically viable, and ethically defendable strategies to manage these climate risks? Ratified international agreements call for a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Recent proposals, however, call for a different approach: to geoengineer climate by injecting aerosol precursors into the stratosphere. […]”

Link

Horton, J. B. (2011), ‘Geoengineering and the Myth of Unilateralism

Horton, J. B. (2011), ‘Geoengineering and the Myth of Unilateralism: Pressures and Prospects for International Cooperation’, Stanford Journal of Law, Science [&] Policy, IV: 56–69.

“In this article, I argue that fear of unilateralism is largely misplaced, grounded more in unexamined policy assumptions than in reasoned analysis of the strategic situation faced by states. I will present this argument in five parts. First, I will document the widespread notion that unilateral geoengineering poses a genuine threat to the international order. Second, I will closely examine the interests and constraints that are likely to confront states contemplating intervention in the climate system. Third, I will demonstrate that international dynamics are
more likely to create pressures leading to cooperation than to foster tendencies toward unilateralism. Fourth, I will consider different mechanisms for encouraging collaboration on climate intervention strategies. Finally, I will consider the implications of this argument for future discussions of geoengineering.”