Climate Scientists: It’s Time for “Plan B”

Nations around the globe have failed to curb carbon emissions, and more than half of climate researchers surveyed in a poll agree that humans can expect to rely on technology to control the most volatile effects of climate change. Some “geoengineering” approaches, as listed in the article from the Independent, resemble strategies described in science fiction novels and include using artificial means to reduce sunlight, adding mirrors in space or fertilizing the oceans with iron to increase algae growth. “Levels of CO2 have continued to increase during the past decade since the treaty was agreed and they are now rising faster than even the worst-case scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations body,” report Steve Connor, science editor, and Chris Green. “In the meantime the natural absorption of CO2 by the world's forests and oceans has decreased significantly.” In the poll, climate scientists also agreed that geoengineering won’t serve as a substitute for an immediate reduction in carbon emissions. – YaleGlobal