Technology and Global Warming

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING

Recently, I have commented to several scientists who have their own blogs that the issue of applying technology to address CO2 output is a very narrow and, quite probably, counterproductive approach to mankind's future on this planet.

It is evident that CO2 has become a red herring for every political and social agenda imaginable and that, too often, science and reason are disregarded in the proclamations of impending disaster.

There are at least four "dimensions" that should be addressed before the government steps in to create its own version of the "enlightenment":

• energy
• environment
• economy
• global warming (climate impact)

As I wrote yesterday, global warming and climate change are not synonymous. Most proposals to take this approach or that to reduce CO2 have conflicting impacts in these four dimensions.

Below is an example of a summary evaluation a coalition of scientists and professionals from different disciplines could provide as the basis for public debate (with more detail, of course).

While the debate does go on, the arguments for or against a particular action are often highly biased, confusing, and detrimental to other aspects of human existence (such as dragging down economic development in poor countries by limiting CO2 output from the resources available to them).

I believe that the IPCC (UN climate evaluation group) represents only one of the four critical dimensions that need to be considered before billions or trillions of dollars are dedicated toward a particular effort or technology.

Click on image to see a larger picture



..