Some want to ban geoengineering research. This would be a catastrophic mistake for our planet | Craig Segall and Baroness Bryony Worthington

Banning Geoengineering Research: A Catastrophic Mistake for Our Planet

The idea of deliberately intervening in the Earth's climate system to mitigate the effects of global warming has sparked intense debate among policymakers. Some have even called for a complete ban on geoengineering research, citing concerns over its potential moral and scientific implications. However, experts warn that such a move would be a catastrophic mistake.

For centuries, humans have been releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, leading to a significant increase in global temperatures. The consequences of this accidental geoengineering are already being felt, with devastating impacts on ecosystems and human societies worldwide. In contrast, deliberately exploring technologies to cool the planet could provide much-needed breathing room for the energy transition.

One of the most pressing concerns is that the Earth's climate system appears more sensitive to greenhouse gases than previously thought. This means that even small changes in emissions can have significant and irreversible effects on the planet. The current rate of emissions reduction is woefully inadequate, and the window for action is rapidly closing.

The math of solving the problem has always been daunting, but federal attacks on climate regulations and research have made it even more challenging. As a result, policymakers are forced to make decisions under immense pressure, without having access to credible options or a comprehensive understanding of the risks involved.

This is where geoengineering research comes in – not as a replacement for mitigation efforts, but as a complementary tool to drive energy transition and land-use reform. By exploring potential interventions that could reduce peak warming or slow dangerous feedback loops, policymakers can make informed choices about how to manage these risks.

The argument that discussing climate interventions creates a "moral hazard" is misleading. Refusing to consider potentially life-saving options is not moral clarity – it's moral failure. Climate justice demands that we protect people from suffering, and this requires a comprehensive plan that integrates mitigation, adaptation, and risk reduction.

To avoid the worst-case scenarios, we need more leaders, more funders, and more governments to engage in this work. This means expanding investments in adaptation, resilience, and emergency preparedness, as well as developing credible options for geoengineering interventions.

Ultimately, the only question is when, and by whom, this work will be done. The window for action is rapidly closing, and the stakes are high. By exploring geoengineering research and developing a more inclusive plan, we can drive energy transition and land-use reform in ways that are safe, just, and globally inclusive.

In conclusion, banning geoengineering research would be a catastrophic mistake for our planet. It's time to take a more honest conversation about what lies ahead – and what must now be done to prepare. We need policymakers to engage with credible options, drive energy transition, and manage the risks of climate change in ways that prioritize human well-being and sustainable development.
 
Wow 🤯 geoengineering research is like trying to stop a runaway train from burning down the whole city - it's do or die for the planet! We can't just sit around waiting for someone else to save us, we gotta start taking control of our own emissions and finding ways to cool the planet before it's too late. It's all about balancing mitigation with geoengineering, no one solution is gonna cut it 🌎💨
 
I'm freaking out over this news 🤯! Banning geoengineering research is like completely ignoring the elephant in the room – our planet's heating up and we need to do something about it ASAP 🔥. I mean, experts are saying that even small changes in emissions can have huge effects on the climate system... it's not just a matter of "tweaking" some numbers 📊. We need more leaders coming forward with credible options and funding for research that can actually make a difference 💸.

It's so frustrating when policymakers get all caught up in short-term politics rather than looking at the big picture 🗺️. We need to be having a long-term conversation about how to manage the risks of climate change, not just pretending everything is fine 😒. And let's be real, geoengineering research isn't a silver bullet – but it could be part of a bigger solution that includes energy transition and land-use reform 🌎.

I'm so tired of hearing "moral hazard" thrown around when people are talking about climate change... it just feels like a way to shut down the conversation 😒. We need to have honest discussions about what lies ahead, not hide behind vague warnings about hypothetical risks 🔮. It's time for policymakers to get on board with credible options and take action 💪.
 
I'm so stoked 🤩 about this - geoengineering research is like our last hope 💡 to save the planet from climate chaos 🌪️! I mean, think about it, we've been messing around with the Earth's system for centuries and now we're finally taking it seriously 😊. But instead of just talking about reducing emissions (which is super necessary btw), let's explore some actual solutions that could make a real difference 🔥.

I'm so tired of people saying we need to "ban" geoengineering research - what does that even mean? 🤷‍♀️ We can't just shut down our minds and refuse to think about new ideas 💭. This is like the opposite of innovation, you know? We need more leaders who are willing to take risks, invest in new tech, and develop credible options for geoengineering interventions 💸.

And can we please get over the "moral hazard" thing already? 🙄 It's just a fancy way of saying "we're scared of talking about climate change so let's shut it down". Climate justice demands that we act now, not wait for some moral permission slip 🕰️. We need to be brave, think outside the box, and develop solutions that prioritize human well-being and sustainable development 💚.

So yeah, let's get on with it! Who's with me? 🤗
 
omg u guys geoengineering research cant be banned its like our only hope 🤯💡 we need 2 explore all options 4 reducing greenhouse gas emissions & mitigating climate change its not about creating a moral hazard its about taking action 💪 the science is clear but politicians are being super slow 🕰️ we need mor leaders, funders, & govts to get on board ASAP ⏱️
 
can't believe what's going on 🤯 ... they're literally trying to close the door on potential solutions to save our planet 🌎 like geoengineering research! this is just short-sighted thinking, you know? we've been messing with the climate for centuries already 😬 and now we're too scared to even consider some tech that could help cool it down a bit? 🤔 what's the plan here? are they really gonna let the planet burn out completely? 🚨 no way, we need more research, not less! 💡
 
🙄 geoengineering research isn't gonna save us from the impending doom that is climate change anyway... all this fuss about "deliberately intervening" in the Earth's system just means we're playing with fire 🔥 - what if it backfires? 🤯 & honestly, I think it's a waste of resources to keep throwing cash at a problem that might be too big for us to solve... shouldn't we just focus on adapting to the fact that climate change is here and figuring out how to cope with it instead of trying to 'fix' it? 😒
 
geoengineering ban is super worrying 🤕, we're already dealing with crazy temperatures and extreme weather events. if we stop researching geoengineering now, it's like closing the door on our best shot at saving the planet. i get why people are cautious, but banning research altogether is just not a good idea. we need to be open to exploring all options, even if they're untested or seem crazy 🤯. the problem is that we don't have many tested options to begin with. policymakers need to step up and start having more honest conversations about what's at stake here 💡.
 
🌎📉 So basically the ban on geoengineering research is a no-go 🚫. I'm looking at some stats here... according to NASA, CO2 levels have increased by 41% since pre-industrial times 📊, and global temps are up by 1.1°C 🔥. It's like, we're already in this hot mess, might as well explore ways to cool it down, you know? 👀 The idea that banning research will solve the problem is just, like, totally not gonna happen 🤦‍♂️. We need more experts, more funding, and more governments on board ASAP 💸👥.

Here's a quick breakdown of the carbon emissions timeline:

2015: 41% increase in CO2 levels since pre-industrial times 📈
2020: Global temps were up by 1.1°C 🔪
2050: If we keep current emission trends, it's looking like temps could rise by another 3-4°C 🔥

And let's talk about the moral hazard thing... it's just a bunch of hype 🙄. We can't afford to not consider all options, especially if they might save lives. It's time for policymakers to get real and start exploring credible solutions 📊.

I'm also curious, what's with the lack of investment in climate adaptation and resilience? 🤔 According to the IPCC, we need to be investing around $1 trillion annually by 2030 to mitigate the impacts of climate change 💸. That's just a tiny fraction of the trillions being thrown at fossil fuels every year 🚫.

Anyway, the bottom line is: banning geoengineering research would be a massive mistake 🌪️. We need to get serious about solving this problem, and fast ⏰!
 
I gotta say, this geoengineering ban thing is super concerning 🤯. I mean, think about it - we're basically playing a game of "let's try not to kill each other with climate change" and we can't even have some kinda discussion about using fancy tech to cool things down? It feels like we're being forced into a corner by our own politicians and just gotta sit there and accept the heat 🌡️. Newsflash: this isn't gonna solve anything! We need to be having this conversation with experts, not just shutting it down out of fear 🙅‍♂️. And another thing - what even is "moral hazard"? Is that like saying we're being too cautious if we wanna try and save the planet? I don't think so 💁‍♀️. We need to get our priorities straight and start taking some real action, not just hiding behind fear of...whatever it is 🤔.
 
I'm totally down with banning geoengineering research 🙅‍♂️... no wait, I don't think so 😳... actually, I'm kinda unsure about this whole thing... it seems like we should be doing both mitigation and geoengineering at the same time ⚖️... but isn't that just a recipe for disaster? 🤔... or maybe if done right, it could work? 🤷‍♂️... what if we're just not thinking about this enough? 😬... I mean, some experts are saying it's a catastrophic mistake, but others think it's our only hope ⚠️... can't we just stay neutral for once? 🙈... maybe the key is finding a balance between science and emotion 💡... or is that just what politicians want us to believe? 🤷‍♂️
 
🤔 geoengineering research is still super sketchy to me - like, have we even figured out how it won't mess up our ecosystems? 🌿💡 i mean, we're already having trouble with natural disasters and weird weather patterns... do we really want to add a bunch of high-tech fixes to the mix? 🚨 plus, isn't this just gonna be another excuse for governments to avoid doing real climate action? 💸 like, what's the harm in exploring all the options, but let's not forget that reducing emissions and adapting to change are still our top priorities! 🌱💪
 
I'm really worried about this news 🤕. Banning geoengineering research is like putting out a fire without even trying to stop the blaze from spreading 🔥. We're already running out of time, and scientists are warning us that the climate system is more sensitive than we thought, so any move to halt research would be super reckless 😬. What's needed is a comprehensive plan that includes mitigation, adaptation, and risk reduction – basically, everything except banning research 🤔. Let's not forget, geoengineering can be a tool to drive energy transition and land-use reform, making it safer for our planet 💚. We need more leaders and funders to get on board with this work ASAP ⏱️!
 
geoengineering research getting a bad rap 🤔. i mean, its not like we haven't been messing with the planet for centuries now... releasing all those greenhouse gases into the atmosphere? what's the point of even trying to cool it down? its just gonna come back stronger than before. and have you seen the numbers on emissions reduction lately? not looking good 📉. instead of banning research, shouldnt we be investing in it more? like, seriously, whats the harm in exploring some tech that might just save us from ourselves?
 
Geoengineering research is like throwing up our hands and saying we can't handle the climate crisis 😩. I mean think about it, if a few smart people are willing to mess with the Earth's systems just to save us, doesn't that sound kinda like we're not doing enough ourselves? 🤔 We've been talking about reducing emissions for years but nothing seems to be happening. It's like we're waiting for someone else to save us from our own mistakes 💸. I'm all for exploring new ideas, but what if this just delays the inevitable? The Earth's climate system is super sensitive and even small changes can have huge effects 🌪️. We need more transparency and funding for research, not a blanket ban 🚫.
 
I gotta say, I'm super worried about this geoengineering ban 🌎😱. It's like we're not taking this climate crisis seriously enough. We need to be exploring all options to cool down the planet, especially since our emissions are way off track 🤦‍♀️. The science is clear: even small changes can have huge consequences for the Earth 🌡️. We need more leaders and funders on board ASAP 💸 to invest in adaptation, resilience, and emergency prep. And let's not forget about geoengineering research – it's not a replacement for mitigation efforts, but rather a complementary tool to drive energy transition and land-use reform 🔄.

I'm also super frustrated with the "moral hazard" argument 🙄. It's like we're saying that exploring options to save humanity is somehow immoral? Give me a break! Climate justice demands that we act quickly and decisively to protect people from suffering 💕. We need a comprehensive plan that integrates mitigation, adaptation, and risk reduction – not just sit back and wait for the worst-case scenarios to happen 🚨.

It's time to take a deep breath, be honest with ourselves about what lies ahead, and start taking action 💪. We can do this, but we need policymakers who are willing to engage with credible options, drive energy transition, and prioritize human well-being and sustainable development 🌟.
 
the whole geoengineering debate is so messy 🤯 i think it's crazy ppl are worried about banning research but they're not considering the bigger picture - we need a way to cool the planet ASAP or else we'll be facing some serious consequences 😓 like, what if we don't get climate change under control? our future will be all messed up. the thing is, geoengineering might just be the tool we need to buy us some time for renewable energy sources to kick in 🌱.
 
I'm so worried about this 🤕 geoengineering ban thingy... I mean, come on guys! Can't we just explore all our options before shutting them down? We're already stuck with a planet that's like, super sensitive to greenhouse gases. It's not like we can just turn off the tap and expect everything to be fine again.

I don't get why there's so much drama around this topic... some people are saying it's a moral hazard, others are saying it's a catastrophic mistake... what about being responsible? We need more leaders who are willing to take calculated risks and invest in research that could save us from ourselves 😩

It's all about balance, you know? We can't just cut off our nose to spite our face. If we're not careful, the consequences of climate change will be so bad that it'll be impossible to reverse 🌪️. We need to keep exploring, adapting, and innovating if we want to save ourselves.

I'm calling on all the world leaders out there... let's get serious about this! 💬
 
the idea of banning geoengineering research is literally crazy 🤯 - it's like saying we should just sit back and watch our planet burn because it might be too hard to stop the warming 💀 - we can't afford to wait, we need to explore all options at this point, even if they're super uncertain 🌪️
 
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