Powell's Ponderings: Shooting Pollution
Someone e-mailed me a short time ago wondering how much of President Obama’s aggressive environmental agenda would get derailed because of more overriding economic concerns.
I am not sure, although I have heard that the cap and trade legislation regarding carbon credits could be way-laid for a time.
But no sooner do I write that than I see this item from the Associated Press published on April 8.
“The president’s new science adviser said that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing drastic options to cool Earth’s air.
“John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geo-engineering the climate is being discussed.
One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort.
“As he put it: ‘It’s got to be looked at. We don’t have the luxury of taking any approach off the table.’”
Wow! Shooting pollution into space. Something doesn’t sound right there. Then reflecting the sun’s rays from us? What if too many get reflected and there is not enough rays to get a good tan at the beach in the summer?
And who is this John Holdren? Ends up he taught at University of California Berkeley and now at Harvard. And he has a beard.
He and Obama may march to their own drum. But how in-step with scientific reality are they?
I am not sure, although I have heard that the cap and trade legislation regarding carbon credits could be way-laid for a time.
But no sooner do I write that than I see this item from the Associated Press published on April 8.
“The president’s new science adviser said that global warming is so dire, the Obama administration is discussing drastic options to cool Earth’s air.
“John Holdren told The Associated Press in his first interview since being confirmed last month that the idea of geo-engineering the climate is being discussed.
One such extreme option includes shooting pollution particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun’s rays. Holdren said such an experimental measure would only be used as a last resort.
“As he put it: ‘It’s got to be looked at. We don’t have the luxury of taking any approach off the table.’”
Wow! Shooting pollution into space. Something doesn’t sound right there. Then reflecting the sun’s rays from us? What if too many get reflected and there is not enough rays to get a good tan at the beach in the summer?
And who is this John Holdren? Ends up he taught at University of California Berkeley and now at Harvard. And he has a beard.
He and Obama may march to their own drum. But how in-step with scientific reality are they?