1
00:00:00,661 --> 00:00:04,841
Another example is the array of
technologies often referred to

2
00:00:04,841 --> 00:00:08,201
collectively as geoengineering
that potentially could help

3
00:00:08,201 --> 00:00:11,801
reverse the warming effects of
global climate change. One that

4
00:00:11,801 --> 00:00:14,521
has gained my personal
attention is stratospheric

5
00:00:14,521 --> 00:00:18,921
aerosol injection or SAI. A
method of seeding the

6
00:00:18,921 --> 00:00:21,721
stratosphere with particles
that can help reflect the sun's

7
00:00:21,721 --> 00:00:26,841
heat in much the same way that
volcanic eruptions do. An SAI

8
00:00:26,841 --> 00:00:29,961
program could limit global
temperature increases. Reducing

9
00:00:29,961 --> 00:00:32,421
some risk associated with
higher temperatures and

10
00:00:32,421 --> 00:00:35,301
providing the world economy
additional time to transition

11
00:00:35,301 --> 00:00:39,941
from fossil fuels. This process
is also relatively inexpensive.

12
00:00:39,941 --> 00:00:43,061
The National Research Research
Council estimates that a fully

13
00:00:43,061 --> 00:00:46,221
deployed SAI program would cost
about 10 billion dollars

14
00:00:46,221 --> 00:00:51,061
yearly. As promising as it may
be, moving forward on SAI would

15
00:00:51,061 --> 00:00:53,141
also raise a number of
challenges for our government

16
00:00:53,141 --> 00:00:56,021
and for the international
community. On the technical

17
00:00:56,021 --> 00:00:59,381
side, greenhouse gas emission
reductions would still have to

18
00:00:59,381 --> 00:01:02,641
accompany a SAI to address
other climate change effects

19
00:01:02,641 --> 00:01:07,041
such as ocean acidification
because SAI alone would not

20
00:01:07,041 --> 00:01:10,401
remove greenhouse gases from
the atmosphere on the

21
00:01:10,401 --> 00:01:13,921
geopolitical side the
technologies potential to alter

22
00:01:13,921 --> 00:01:17,681
weather patterns and benefit
certain regions of the world at

23
00:01:17,681 --> 00:01:21,121
the expense of other regions
could trigger sharp opposition

24
00:01:21,121 --> 00:01:26,001
by some nations. Others might
seize on SAI's benefits and

25
00:01:26,001 --> 00:01:29,361
back away from their commitment
to carbon dioxide reductions.

26
00:01:29,361 --> 00:01:33,121
And as with other breakthrough
technologies global norms and

27
00:01:33,121 --> 00:01:35,361
standards are lacking to guide
the deployment and

28
00:01:35,361 --> 00:01:41,761
implementation of SAI and other
geoengineering initiatives.