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20/11/2008
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Following the evidence session on geo engineering for the House of Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee that we reported on November 13th, a second session was held on November 17th that was even more sceptical
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Dr Phil Williamson of Research Councils UK, when asked what support they were providing for geo engineering research, responded, “Very little directly from the research councils”, but said that an ideas factory meeting would take place in Autumn 2009, later adding the comment that, “The research councils are overwhelmed with ideas for geo engineering which have not yet passed the first hurdle of modelling to establish viability or environmental consequences”.
Dr Brain Iddon commented that, “We have had some pretty wacky ideas”. Joan Ruddock, parliamentary under-secretary of state for the new Department of Energy of Climate change was even more sceptical, saying, with regard to geo-engineering, “The question is, are we going to deliver anything? We believe that carbon capture and storage is going to be the way forward. We are already committed to this concept. China and India are committed to burning fossil fuels for decades to come…Geo engineering is not going to lead to any immediate solution.” She argued that if there is, “Seen to be a way out through geo-engineering”, those countries that do not want to reduce carbon emissions would use the possibility of geo engineering as an excuse for not doing so, adding that, “If plan A fails [carbon emissions reduction and capture] there is little to make us believe that plan B would succeed” and, “The sums of money required are colossal…We need all our energies to be directed at plan A…We need the population at large to work with us…we want young people to understand the case and realise there are things we can do”.
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Author
Tom Shelley
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