Climate change is a hoax. Climate change should be ignored. Climate change is not happening now but may happen in future. Climate change happens naturally and not because of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Climate change cannot be proven, etc., are some of the arguments harassing focus on the subject.
These arguments are there for many reasons, some of which can be listened to, and carefully debated, but there are others that are not worth the ears, submitted to further intricate the subject . The growing level of opposition to climate change and the waning will to agree to curb GHG emissions globally put us in a delicate position for a safe earth.
Climate change as a result of global warming is still ignored at best, and matters about it, in print, can hardly be found on the desks of powerful decision makers globally. Climate change is not seen as threatening as economic problems or nuclear problems, but probably as ‘one issue we’ll find a way around’ when necessary.
The world knows that restrictions should be placed on GHG emissions, but factors to encourage like renewable and sustainable energy are still growing, and conditions especially economic does not provide a platform. These and other factors that constitute the complexity in addressing climate change is bringing geoengineering to table.
Geoengineering can be described as intentional actions taken to counter the climate effects of past GHG emissions to the atmosphere. Geoengineering is suggested as a quick fix solution for global warming if we clearly approach a point of irreversible climate change due to the growing GHG emissions.
Geoengineering have several schemes and are categorized into two, Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Some geoengineering schemes are seen as implausible while others have practical and financial possibilities.
Scientific research, tests, studies and finding are still ongoing for geoengineering, but are found to weigh (say) less, relative to policy and governance issues with the subject. There are several questions, some of which are so hard, so complex, that is better to be the person asking than to be in a position to answer.
Questions like unintended consequences, reduced solar energy, equity with respect to benefit for nations, unilateral deployment, weaponization, misguided research and more, are visibility reducing smog-coded questions, that trying to find answers for is the issue with geoengineering and not the actual issues.
What also amazes about geoengineering is that those that start to learn about the subject are quick to know about these questions, and it clouds ‘what may have been’ their original opinion. This is seen in some of the comments that have followed reports on the subject.
Geoengineering governance & policy issues and some of the questions that can be answered are discussed at meetings and forums on the subject. Some of the questions will be answered and resolved but some may never be satisfactorily answered until geoengineering is deployed. Such meetings are expected to hold later this year in Africa. One of the meetings expected in Ethiopia will be hosted by the African Academy of Science.
Discussions on geoengineering and how Africa should incline are stated in the document titled Geoengineering Policies and Africa, the document presents a path for Africa on the subject and how Africa can participate.
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