Will “Crazy Technology” Thwart Climate Change?

Between automobile advertisements, ABC news reports on some far-out ideas to mitigate global climate change:

Crazy-sounding ideas for saving the planet are getting a serious look from top scientists, a sign of their fears about global warming and the desire for an insurance policy in case things get worse. How crazy?

There’s the man-made "volcano" that shoots gigatons of sulfur high into the air. The space "sun shade" made of trillions of little reflectors between Earth and sun, slightly lowering the planet’s temperature. The forest of ugly artificial "trees" that suck carbon dioxide out of the air. And the "Geritol solution" in which iron dust is dumped into the ocean.

Climate scientist Tom Wigley comments:

It’s the lesser of two evils here (the other being doing nothing). Whatever we do, there are bad consequences, but you have to judge the relative badness of all the consequences. 

And it doesn’t stop there. The Guardian reports on efforts by German
scientists to reduce the methane produced by cows:

According to scientific estimates, the methane gas produced by cows is
responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. And now, German scientists have invented a pill to cut bovine burping.

Photo: greenpeaceUK/Flickr

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