Geo-engineering: partial response to the coal vs climate battle?
Jeff Goodell is an American who wrote a book called “Big Coal: the dirty secret behind America’s future” – there’s a good interview with him about this book on You Tube at this link. He’s written a new book called “Cooling the Planet”, which is about geo-engineering: scientists who are researching the ways we could use technology to alleviate global warming.
I’ve occasionally read articles about such research, and had usually dismissed it as attempts by polluters to create the illusion that there might be some scientific ‘quick fix’ which could provide us with a ‘get out of jail free’ card which would enable us to maintain our highly polluting and ecologically inefficient economies. Jeff Goodell is certainly aware of the serious threat which rapid climate change presents, as his previous work indicates.
But he has also spent a lot of time examining the viability of geo-engineering, particularly given the possibility that greenhouse gas levels are already so high that rapid global warming cannot be avoided, and the potential of geo-engineering technology to buy us some time while we finally get our act together on rapidly reducing greenhouse emissions.
I interview Jeff Goodell about his new book this morning on my weekly show in 4zzz. He will be speaking about his book tomorrow (Tues 20th) from 6pm at Avid Reader bookshop, 193 Boundary St, West End. (contact the bookstore to see if there are still places available). You can listen to my interview with him by going to this link (or download the mp3 file direct by clicking here).
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
Ann
Why dont we look again at nuclear energy. The technology has come a long way and is safe now. We could even have the plants in the centre of Australia, with no one there for hundreds of miles.
Jul 26th, 2010
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