Challenge:

As climate extremes begin to tear apart our quality of life there are growing calls for short-term human interventions to ameliorate these extremes. Solar Radiation Management (eg, pumping aerosols into the stratosphere) and enhanced carbon uptake (eg, fertilisation of the ocean with iron) are two broad strategies currently being proposed (and explored). They don’t cost much to implement, relative to the economic cost of not using fossil fuels, but the potential for catastrophic ecosystem damage is high. When this policy choice is put on the table, how should stakeholders respond?

Proposition:

This one day module will examine how geoengineering works, how it relates to national law and international convention, and how decision makers might weigh up its many pros and cons.

Learning outcomes:

• understand the Australia’s options in geoengineering
• develop decision criteria for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of these options
• appreciate Australia’s role as part of the international community efforts to regulate geoengineering