Hacking the climate: Can geoengineering slow global warming?

+ saving pets during natural disasters US Edition - Today's top story: Geoengineering sounds like a quick climate fix, but without more research and guardrails, it's a costly gamble − with potentially harmful results [View in browser]( US Edition | 21 August 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Israel’s political centrists awaken from their slumber]( - [Why we ‘um’ and ‘uh’ when we speak]( - [Pope Francis is paying a visit to Mongolia – a country with fewer than 1,500 Catholics]( Lead story Americans have seen disaster after disaster over the past few weeks, from the Maui wildfires’ [near total destruction]( of Lahaina, Hawaii, to the flash flooding underway from [the first tropical storm]( to hit Southern California since 1939. That’s on top of the extreme summer heat across the South and fires in Canada that have forced [entire towns to evacuate]( and sent hazardous smoke pouring into the U.S. When climate-related disasters get overwhelming, policymakers [start looking closer at geoengineering](, hoping for a fast way to slow global warming, whether it’s by blocking the Sun’s rays or sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Geoscientist David Kitchen of the University of Richmond explains the geoengineering methods that are being discussed – including some receiving billions of dollars from the U.S. government – and why tinkering with Earth’s systems without better understanding the potential consequences is a costly gamble. [ [Understand what’s going on in Washington and around the world. Get our Politics Weekly newsletter.]( ] Stacy Morford Environment + Climate Editor Geoengineering includes techniques to reflect solar energy. Elvis Tam/500px via Getty Images [Geoengineering sounds like a quick climate fix, but without more research and guardrails, it’s a costly gamble − with potentially harmful results]( David Kitchen, University of Richmond Some geoengineering techniques are better understood than others. The US is investing in capturing carbon dioxide from the air, but ideas to block the Sun’s rays are raising big concerns. Environment + Energy - [Want to help Maui’s animals after the wildfires? Send cash, not kibble]( Sarah DeYoung, University of Delaware Animal shelters and other organizations that support pets and their owners after disasters will still need help months after the media has moved on. - [Tropical Storm Hilary pounds Southern California with heavy rain, flash flooding]( Nicholas Grondin, University of Tampa Forecasters warned of ‘potentially historic rainfall’ and ‘dangerous to locally catastrophic flooding.’ A hurricane scientist explains what El Niño, a heat dome and mountains have to do with the risk. Politics + Society - [Israel’s democracy protests: What happens next?]( Dov Waxman, University of California, Los Angeles What will happen in Israel after more than half a year of pro-democracy demonstrations against the conservative government’s judicial overhaul? - [Presidential pauses? What those ‘ums’ and ‘uhs’ really tell us about candidates for the White House]( Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada, Reno Long treated as a sign of anxiety or a delaying tactic, ‘filled pauses’ are a linguistic trick to signal that what you are about to say might be complicated. International - [As BRICS cooperation accelerates, is it time for the US to develop a BRICS policy?]( Mihaela Papa, Tufts University; Frank O'Donnell, Boston College; Zhen Han, Sacred Heart University BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – compose 41% of the world population and almost a third of global GDP. - [Yellowknife and Kelowna wildfires burn in what is already Canada’s worst season on record]( Andrew Weaver, University of Victoria The devastating wildfire that destroyed the historic Maui town of Lahaina was still making headlines when Yellowknife issued an evacuation order. Ethics + Religion - [What the pope’s visit to Mongolia says about his priorities and how he is changing the Catholic Church]( Kristy Nabhan-Warren, University of Iowa A scholar of Roman Catholicism explains why Pope Francis’ visit to Mongolia, home to fewer than 1,500 Catholics, is significant. - [The idea that imprisonment ‘corrects’ prisoners stretches back to some of the earliest texts in history]( J. Nicholas Reid, Reformed Theological Seminary Mesopotamia’s prisons were built for detaining people, not punishing them. But they shaped powerful ideas about justice and reform that aren’t so different from today’s. Science + Technology - [Social media algorithms warp how people learn from each other, research shows]( William Brady, Northwestern University Social media companies’ drive to keep you on their platforms clashes with how people evolved to learn from each other. One result is more conflict and misinformation. - [Caroline Herschel was the first female astronomer, but she still lacks name recognition two centuries later]( Kris Pardo, University of Southern California Astronomer Caroline Herschel’s work discovering and cataloging astronomical objects in the 18th century is still used in the field today, but she didn’t always get her due credit. - [AI and new standards promise to make scientific data more useful by making it reusable and accessible]( Bradley Wade Bishop, University of Tennessee The phrase ‘research data management’ might make your eyes glaze over, but it’s actually this behind-the-scenes work that allows for large-scale scientific discoveries and collaborations. Health + Medicine - [Can you cry underwater?]( Geoffrey Bradford, West Virginia University An ophthalmologist explains how important tears are to keeping your eyes feeling good and working well – whether you’re on dry land or swimming in a body of water. Trending on site - [Georgia indictment and post-Civil War history make it clear: Trump’s actions have already disqualified him from the presidency]( - [Can coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there’s no substitute for shut-eye]( - [Oppenheimer often used Sanskrit verses, and the Bhagavad Gita was special for him − but not in the way Christopher Nolan’s film depicts it]( Reader Comments 💬 “All hairs have phases. The simplest way of thinking about them is growth, transition and rest. For the hair on our head, the growth phase is years long. For our eyebrows and eyelashes, it’s about one month. After the month of growth, the hair stops growing, hangs out for a few weeks, and then begins falling out. The cycle repeats over and over. Our cells are genetically programmed so that the growth phase is shorter for eyelashes and eyebrows.” – Author Tara S. Carpenteron the story [Why does your hair curl in the summer? A chemist explains the science behind hair structure]( [The Conversation Book Club launch event on September 14.]( Join the conversation with Manil Suri and The Conversation’s Senior Science + Technology Editor, Maggie Villiger, on September 14 at 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific. Please [register in advance]( to save your spot. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? Follow us: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Spoutible]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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