Most Promising Stabilization Wedges

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Most Promising Stabilization Wedges
Energy efficiency (vehicles, buildings, electric
power plants Fuel shift (natural gas replacing
coal) Carbon capture and storage Nuclear power
plants Renewable power and fuel sources (wind,
solar, biomass) Forests and soil sequestration
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• I speculate that views of the climate problem
  may shift from the current conception in which
  carbon emission is seen as a pollutant to be
  eliminated toward a conception in which carbon
  dioxide concentration and climate are seen as
  elements of the earth system to be actively
  managed.
• 
  D.W. Keith, 2000
• 
  Geoengineering the Climate
  

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Kiehl, J.T. 2006. Geoengineering climate change
Treating the symptom over the cause. Climatic
Change 77227-228. We would be taking on the
ultimate state of hubris to believe we can
control Earth. We (the industrially developed
world) would be telling the rest of the world not
to worry about our insatiable use of energy.
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• Although the need for improved environmental
  problem solving is undeniable, I judge that great
  caution is warranted. Humanity may inevitably
  grow into active planetary management, yet we
  would be wise to begin with a renewed commitment
  to reduce our interference in natural systems
  rather than to act by balancing one interference
  with another.
• 
  D.W. Keith, 2000
• 
  Geoengineering the Climate

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Buesseler, K.O. et al. 2008. Ocean iron
fertilization moving forward in a sea of
uncertainty. Science 319162
It is premature to sell carbon offsets unless
there is a better demonstration that ocean iron
fertilization effectively removes CO2, retains
that C in the ocean for a quantifiable period of
time, and has acceptable and predictable
environmental impacts.
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• Crutzen, P.J. 2006. Albedo enhancement by
  stratospheric sulfur injections A contribution
  to resolve a policy dilemma. Climatic Change
  77211-219.

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Wigley, T.M. 2006. A combined mitigation /
geoengineering approach to climate stabilization.
Science 314452-454.
Mitigation is necessary, but geoengineering could
provide additional time to address the economic
and technical challenges faced by a
mitigation-only approach.
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Wigley, T.M. 2006. A combined mitigation /
geoengineering approach to climate stabilization.
Science 314452-454.
Mitigation is necessary, but geoengineering could
provide additional time to address the economic
and technical challenges faced by a
mitigation-only approach.
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Crutzen, P.J. 2006. Albedo enhancement by
stratospheric sulfur injections A contribution
to resolve a policy dilemma. Climatic Change
77211-219. The very best would be if emissions
of the greenhouse gases could be reduced so much
that the stratospheric release experiment would
not need to take place. Currently, this looks
like a pious wish.
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