Why transforming a desert into a forest might not be such a good idea.

Frank Raes, head of the climate change unit at the Joint Research Centre's (JRC) Institute for Environment and Sustainability sends a warning message to geo-engineering schemes. "People should not meddle with Earth's complex climate system by experimenting with futuristic geo-engineering options, but softer approaches have the potential to relieve the planet's climate woes".

Mr Raes propses a definition for geo-engineering which includes aforestation (planting trees) and explains the reasons why this practice might be a very good long term solution for the planet, but not particualtly good if the short term goal is to cool the climate. To read the entirety of his interview please follow this link.


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Are Artificial Trees the answer?

As the climate continues to get hotter due to increase of CO2 gas emissions, scientists and engineers are looking for technological solutions that might help "buy some time" before crucial rise towards 2 degrees C.

The Institution of Mechancal Engineeers is proposing a technological interim solution to "buy some time" before a global average rise in temperature above 2 degrees C. A number of options have been proposed to prevent the rise above 2 degrees C due to its potentially devastating consequences to our environment. One of the options has been to seek a reduction in the CO2 emissions per country. Another approach has been to redesign and rebuild critical assets, such as transport links, urban environment, and power generation. A third option involves using technology for the elimination of CO2 from the environment or the cooling of the planet by reflection solar radiation back into space. This approach has been labelled geo-engineering. In the words of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers,

Geo-engineering is not an encompassing solution to global warming; it is no 'silver bullet', but it could be another potential component in our approach to climate change that could provide the world with extra time to decarbonise the global economy.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers will be presenting its Future Climate UK Energy Plan to the UN Climate Change Conference. Potential geo-engineering options under its Cooling The Planet Programme are artifical trees, algae coated buildings and reflective buildings. Artificial trees are devices which would absorb CO2, store it temporarily until the CO2 could be harvested and buried underground. Similarly, algae could be used to coat our buildings and be harvested to be used as biofuel or animal feed. Bayless, a team of researchers at Ohio State university have researched this technology. The results of their research have been reported in Science Daily.

Technology might buy us some time and this is very helpful but it will not address some fundamental issues about our lifestyle and the way we use energy. Our relentless desire to consume has lead us to the current critical situation. Although technology might help, the fundamental issue is that of moderation in our consumption of goods, and a hightened spiritual awareness of the fabulous gift that God has entrusted to us in care... our world.

Credits
Photograph of artificial tree by JVi!



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