DThe idea sounds impressive: stretch the solar sail into space to intercept the sun’s rays, thereby lowering the temperature. Or particles that you put in the atmosphere to produce a similar effect. In other words, the invention of limiting global warming.Mark Lawrence, director of the Potsdam Institute for Transformation and Sustainable Development (IASS), waits in horror for the day when wealthy philanthropists decide to do so: instead of the current difficult negotiations on national contributions and emissions trading rules. Glasgow Climate Conference When it happens, just start a mission to save the world with a lot of money.
There will be many problems in the scene. If there is a solar sail, it will be: who turns on the thermostat, and who is responsible for where the sun shines? If particles enter the atmosphere, which is more like the realm of science fiction, the color of the sky will change, and the weather will also change. In general, Lawrence thinks these techniques are tricky—especially from an ethical point of view. Before considering this step, the consequences must be understood. On a small scale, he compared it with the introduction of electric scooters: They should reduce traffic pressure and help bridge the so-called last mile-according to research, they have not been achieved either. Instead, they blocked the sidewalk. The significance of climate engineering goes far beyond this. “These are serious interventions on the earth system,” the climate researcher said. The consequences are difficult to predict.
Technical solutions climate change, That is, climate engineering, has been unpopular for a long time. Environmental organizations and some politicians have seen that belief in innovation hinders the actual fight against climate change—that is, the legitimate danger of decarbonizing society. However, the longer it takes to emit carbon dioxide without restrictions, the more a solution is needed, which was described as absurd 20 years ago. For example, in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2018 stipulated in its optimistic path that a large amount of carbon dioxide must be removed from the atmosphere. It sounds like science fiction, but it is not far from reality.
“We must clean up behind us”
Christoph Beuttler said: “Since the Industrial Revolution, we have been emitting carbon dioxide into the air-now we have to get it out again. We have to clean up behind us.” Beuttler’s Swiss company responsible for climate policy is called Climeworks. With the help of a technology developed by founders Jan Wurzbacher and Christoph Gebald, the company was founded in 2009 to extract carbon dioxide from the air. At locations in Switzerland, it is sent to beverage manufacturers to add water, or to vegetable producers near Zurich to use it in greenhouses. Niche business is aimed at environmentally conscious customers. A few weeks ago, Climeworks opened in Iceland the world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) facility to date: it captures 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air every year. The air is sucked in through the huge flakes, separated in the filter and mixed with underground seawater, reacted and solidified to form basalt. According to the company, it cannot withdraw afterwards. Due to the good storage conditions in the soil, I decided to go to Iceland.
