Join the National Petition to Reverse Global Warming

The United States is suffering repeated climate disasters.  Coast to coast, Americans have variously suffered heat domes, flooding, the orange smoke-filled air of out of control forest fires, coastal water temperatures that make the ocean feel like a bathtub, and other climate related events.  No American has been unaffected.

In spite of the best efforts of many to reach zero emissions of carbon and methane, both gases continue to increase in our atmosphere and are currently at all-time highs with no signs of abatement. Heating continues to increase.

Global Atmospheric Engineering Action (or GAEA) is what is required to save life and our lifestyle as we know it.

Therefore we demand the United States assemble the best engineers and scientists to engineer a solution to global warming.  America has a history of invention, of leadership, and of accomplishing that which no other nation is capable.  Once committed, America invented the atom bomb in three years.  It reached the Moon in eight.  And it led the way in mapping the human genome in thirteen years.

We demand Global Atmospheric Engineering Action (GAEA) to craft and perfect a solution from the various known candidates (solar radiation management, greenhouse gas removal, etc.) or perhaps from ones not yet known.   This can and should be undertaken side-by-side with continued efforts to reduce current emissions and with international partners as useful.

Until scientists are recruited and organized and a national commitment is made, it is impossible to know which of the potential avenues will be the one(s) to lead to success.   However, we must remember, we have already engineered the atmosphere through our use of fossil fuels.  It is now time to engineer it purposely and deliberately to our benefit.  While this is not without risk, continued heating cannot be allowed to continue.

The need for this Action is urgent.  Our quality of life is deteriorating.  Our entire way of life is in danger.

America must live up to its history of invention, greatness, and bravery and lead the way.

JOIN THE PETITION

What is GAEA?

(Global Atmospheric Engineering Action)

Global geoengineering is dangerous.  But failing to engineer a solution now is certain doom.  These are the current solution candidates in some phase of development but not yet perfected.

  • Solar Radiation Management (SRM) or Solar Geoengineering

    SRM does not decrease the carbon in the atmosphere or prevent more from being emitted.  It works by compensating for the oversupply of carbon by preventing amounts of the sun’s heat from reaching down into the Earth’s atmosphere and interacting with it.

    1. Albedo enhancement  Increases the reflectiveness of clouds or the land surface.
    2. Space reflectors/mirrors Blocks a proportion of sunlight.
    3. Stratospheric aerosols/seeding  Introduces small, reflective particles into the upper atmosphere.
    4. Reflective crops  Planting crops that reflect more heat.

  • Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) or Carbon Geoengineering

    GGR aims to remove carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.  It is the least dangerous of all engineering options and addresses global warming at its cause.  However, due to scale, these solutions have to be implemented internationally.

    1. Reforestation/Afforestation  Massive-scale tree planting endeavor to increase tree populations to soak up CO2 and release oxygen.
    2. Bio-energy with carbon capture and sequestration Biomass is grown and then burned to create energy.  CO2 is then captured and sequestered.
    3. Ambient Air Capture  The creation of large machines to remove carbon dioxide directly from ambient air and store it.
    4. Ocean Fertilisation  Deliberately farming the ocean to add nutrients in select locations to increase algae production which will draw CO2 from the atmosphere.
    5. Enhanced Weathering  The exposure of massive quantities of minerals to react with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  CO2 is then stored in the resulting mineral compound either in the ocean or the soil.
    6. Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement  Limestone, silicate, or calcium hydroxide is ground up and dissolved/dispersed in massive amounts in the ocean  to increase its ability to store carbon and alleviate ocean acidification.

SIGN THE NATIONAL PETITION TO REVERSE GLOBAL WARMING

For more in depth information on geoengineering, read Princeton Student Climate Initiative or MIT’s Technology Review.