GeoEngineering: Soultion or Risk? 4

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GeoEngineering is without a doubt a very complex venture. I completely read each story, report or whathave you that I posted links to in the earlier posts. I have had time to think about them. In the end I think that it is like a game of billards. Imagine scientists represent the cue ball and geoengineering the 9 ball.

Here are some ideas and lines that stick in my head as I walk out of this cloud (pun intended) of a subject and on to a decision:

• That, If we only combat global climate change by lowering atmospheric emissions we doomed to fail.

• That, in 300-to 1000 years (+/- 300 years) Greenland will melt. Take a good look at that again...some time between NOW and .....whatever, the time scale dosen't matter after NOW.
• The ocean level will rise between 35-45 feet. Think of how much real estate that is. Imagine NYC like Venice. And Venice it self will be gone.
  
• New ecosystems will develop as water level rises.
  

• That, scientists are claiming(my words) to have nearly 100% certainty of the result of each geoengineering method.
  
• GeoEngineeing is really really cheap. For instance the Department of Defense budget for 2007 was $439.3 billion. Geo Engineering = between 0.30 -to- 1 billion. That is like less than 1/400th the cost.
  
• Mt. Pinatubo eruption of sulfur dioxide gas gave us excellent data.
• A tread lightly but continuously is the best method.
  
• That there are a lot of balls on the table.
• A Butterfly Effect is the biggest global risk.
• The population in 2050 will be 9 Billion. It is about 6 billion now, another 33% to add.
  
• People maybe getting ill from experimentation fallout. (lo street cred.)
  
• Experiments will need to monitor and minimize human health exposures but that some exposure maybe inevitable in order to be effective at such a huge scale.
  
• Ultimately, We are damned if we do
• and damned if we don't.
  

Nature will take care of it self but that natural processes might not be best in consideration of the human factor. ...I feel like I have talked my self in a circle like a philosophical argument. Perhaps that is why they have PhDs....doctor of philosophy.

But I digress, as humans who want human life to continue on earth we have no choice...

WE MUST TRY.

GeoEngineering: Soultion or Risk? 3

I really feel energized with this subject. I hope it's being read.

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In the Time Magazine cover article this week ("10 Ideas that are changing the world" -3-24-08) GeoEngineering was idea#6. In the hardcopy version they also present a time line:

1969 - Soviet Science. Russian Mikhail Budyko shows that the ice-albedo effect cools the earth.
1991- Natural Engineering. Mount Pinatubo erupts, releasing sulfur, which lowers world temps.
1997 Teller's Bombshell. Atomic scientist Edward Teller writes an editorial hyping geoengineering
2006- Nobel name-check. Paul Crutzen's paper pushes geoengineering into the mainstream.
2008- Funding the future. The geoengineering start-up Climos secures $3.5-million in initial funding.
2008- GeologyJoe is hired by the EPA to monitor the situation from his blog._O.K....so that one's a wish. I'm just seeing if you were paying attention.

In my previous post, I received a comment signed by David Schnare, PhD. So obviously I check him in Google...woah. Look here. I can't believe that I was able to catch his attention and elicit a comment. After further websearch I found a copy of his testimony on Climate Change that he gave to the United States Senate Committee on Environment and public works. I read the whole thing. Copy Here.
I next want to take a peak at RISK of geoengineeing projects. There seem to be quite a few but I will keep this discussion to the barium oxide (BaO) and aluminum mentioned in the videos posted earlier. They were mentioned as contaminants from suspected geoengineering experimentation. In a television news report they got a doctor to say the symptoms were: eye irritation, upper respiratory problems and nose bleeds.

• What are the health effects of barium oxide exposure? (from a MSDS I found here.)

Inhalation:
Causes irritation to the respiratory tract. Symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath. May be absorbed into the bloodstream with symptoms similar to ingestion.
Eye Contact:
Causes irritation, redness, pain, and burns.
Chronic Exposure:
Chronic exposure may cause respiratory system effects.

What are the health effects of aluminum? source.

- Damage to the central nervous system
- Dementia
- Loss of memory
- Listlessness
- Severe trembling

In my NIOSH pocket guide to chemical hazards aluminum exposure symptoms are eye irritation, skin and respiratory symptoms.


So by my count that a possible yes to barium oxide exposure and a possible YES to aluminum exposure. Though aluminum could take long term exposure before health effects show and the BaO could also be from severe allergies.
We also do not know the degree of barium oxide and aluminum concentrations addressed in the video. An important piece of information.

**divergence**I am reminded of a Star Trek quote; something about the good of a few versus the good of many.

I will post my conclusions of my open-blog-thought process on geoengineering next.

A View on Global Warming

Tonight I found this video of a high school science teacher who boils down the global climate change debate to its 'nuts and bolts'. I suggest you watch it intently and think about the issue on the same scale as it put forth....

Thank You.

His YouTube page, with other good vids is here.

cant believe it!

In 2006 i thought i had got an early start riding (see march 06 post). But today i just finished my first ride of 2007. January 4, 2007. wow.

Skillins Loop 13.39 miles at 18.5 mph avg.

The weather was overcast, 45 deg.F, and the roads are dry...sandy, but dry.

Im thinking the whole global warming thing could work out to be good...(more on that later)


*its a beautiful day in the neighboorhood*

Dry, dark roads.

So the riding this year has been extended greatly as a result of the lack of snow fall. Which is really making me enjoy the whole global warming concept. Anyway, my riding is way down from the summer peak months but I am still getting out. Though the rides are shorter. Last night I took the Rans in to town to return rental movies.

~11 miles. 46 minutes. 15.3 avg.

I am convinced there is no better way to see the Christmas decorations that people put up this time of year, than to bike by them slowly. The night sky was great from the seat of the 'bent too.

I think in all the ride was very good. But the benefits were far greater. I completely de-stressed. Have re-newed my energy and feel GREAT!

today I feel like...."BRING IT ON!"