Some problems can’t be solved by engineering new solutions. With environmental concerns being at the forefront of many minds all around the world, people are desperate to seek a solution. However, one type of solution seems to be most enticing to some – geoengineering. Commonly known practices of geoengineering include carbon capture systems, ecosystem restoration efforts or ocean albedo modification. The goal of geoengineering is to reverse the effects of climate change. However, this ill-informed goal is tainted by the reality of the climate crisis.
The climate crisis is here right now, and trying to invent new technologies simply doesn’t make sense given the lack of time before it is too late. In fact, in 2021 it cost $47.10 per metric ton of CO2 removed through carbon capture systems, according to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. While at first this number sounds low, the Global Carbon Project estimated that 40.9 billion tons of CO2 were released in 2023 alone. That would require nearly two trillion dollars worth of investment each year to be able to counteract the CO2 emissions the world emits. That doesn’t sound so sustainable. In addition to this, said carbon capture plants also require heaps of energy – which believe it or not, also comes from mostly fossil fuels.
Some may retort by asking the question of where else to invest money. All it would take to out-lobby the oil and gas industry would be 150 million dollars per year, which would be ample to curb the industry’s ability to create new projects, and would also allow for more sustainable energy projects to go live. In addition to this, funding more solar farms in general would be more beneficial to resolving the climate crisis due to them being an older and more developed technology that is known to reduce investments in fossil fuels. Furthermore, providing a solution to the problems fossil fuels cause will only drive more people to use them as they would feel less bad due to the problems being ‘remediable.’
Another form of geoengineering, ecosystem restoration, may seem promising at the moment, but now is not the time. As stated above, the world is actively in the height of the climate crisis, and while putting efforts into waning diverse ecosystems is important before it’s too late, investment in these restoration efforts is inefficient.
The first step to cutting off the sources of environmental problems is education and knowledge about what is truly effective, and also being a critical questioner about how to help solve climate change. So when considering where to put your time and energy for being an environmental advocate, weigh all your options. For ideas, visit Greentrain. Besides having a connection with SPA, it provides small, actionable and effective ways to live a greener life. Overall, it is most important to stop the problem at the source by doing all that’s possible to decrease environmentally harmful investments, rather than trying to find a band-aid solution that only drives more harmful activity.
