14 DAY TRIAL // The National Academy of Sciences in the US has some very busy days to look forward to. Word has it that the organization has been given the green light to carry out a $600,000 (€4,555) research into geoengineering.
Scientists working on this project are expected to determine whether or not geoengineering could safely be used to put a leash on climate change and global warming.
These phenomena threaten to reshape biodiversity and heavily impact on human society, so it is no wonder that scientists are trying to better understand and even control them.
What stands to make people tilt their heads is the news that this research is funded by NOAA, NASA and the CIA.
While it is understandable that NOAA and NASA are concerned about said phenomena, the CIA's involvement in the project is a tad odd.
The Agency is aware of this, which is why it insisted on explaining its decision to co-found this research.
According to Daily Mail, the CIA argued as follows: “It's natural that on a subject like climate change the Agency would work with scientists to better understand the phenomenon and its implications on national security.”
Seeing how toying with environment in an attempt to control the weather can spawn unexpected and possibly devastating natural phenomena, it is safe to assume that the CIA was right to look into these issues.
The same source informs us that this research project co-founded by the Agency will focus on solar radiation management and carbon dioxide removal.
The first of these techniques refers to attempting to cool the planet by reflecting sunlight and thus blocking infrared radiation.
The latter boils down to trying to lower global average temperatures by stripping the atmosphere of some of the carbon dioxide it presently contains.
While some researchers say that these techniques might help fight back climate change and global warming, others maintain that they are a no-go, simply because it is almost impossible to predict their consequences.