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SUMMARY:Should We Engineer The Climate? The SPICE Project - Dr Hugh Hunt\,
  Engineering Department\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20140602T183000Z
DTEND:20140602T200000Z
UID:TALK48254@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Nigel Bennee
DESCRIPTION:How might we cool the planet if we fail to meet our CO2 emissi
 ons targets? This is a question that perhaps we shouldn't even ask because
  it will distract us from our primary goal of reducing CO2 emissions.  But
  seriously\, what if our CO2 reduction efforts don't work?  Do we just acc
 ept the climate consequences of the CO2 we generate (35 billion tonnes we 
 emit annually) - sea level rise\, desertification\, ocean acidification\, 
 loss of habitat - or do we try to fix the damage that we are causing?\n\nT
 here are several viable technologies for controlling the climate - known a
 s "geoengineering".\n\nCarbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) by sequestering CO2 is
  one\, or Solar Radiation Management (SRM) using space reflectors is anoth
 er. The SPICE project (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engine
 ering) investigates the benefits\, risks\, costs and feasibility of SRM by
  injecting reflective aerosols in the atmosphere.  If particles can be pum
 ped into the stratosphere at an altitude of 20km\, emulating the effects o
 f a large volcanic eruption\, then global cooling of about 2oC can be achi
 eved.  The particles would be pumped through a number of high-pressure pip
 es suspended by balloons. SPICE presents many novel engineering challenges
 \, especially the design of the pipe and pumping systems to withstand pres
 sures up to 4000 bar and tensions up to 500 tonnes. In this non-technical 
 introductory presentation a number of these challenges will be discussed.\
 n
LOCATION:Wolfson Lecture Theatre\, Churchill College\, Storey's Way\, Camb
 ridge
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