May 27, 2013: FB2-Seminar

13.00 c.t.,Hörsaal, Düsternbrooker Weg 20

 Abstract:

The realization that mitigation efforts to reduce CO2 emissions have until now been ineffective has led to an increasing interest in climate engineering as a possible means of preventing or even reversing global warming. While many studies have addressed the potential effectiveness of individual methods there have been few attempts to compare methods or assess their side effects. Here, we use an Earth system climate model to assess the effectiveness and side effects of continuous and limited-duration afforestation, artificial ocean upwelling, ocean iron fertilization, ocean alkalinization, and solar radiation management during a high CO2 emissions representative concentration pathway (RCP 8.5) scenario. We find that even when applied continuously and at scales as large as possibly, given the current best knowledge about potentially suitable areas and logistic capacities, all methods are either relatively ineffective with limited (<8%) warming reductions, or they have severe side effects and cannot be stopped without causing rapid climate change.