Edeb8.com WODC:THBT Geoengineering Should Be Implemented To Reduce global warming

Framework The resolution is affirming that Geoengineering should be implemented. I have no burden to show that this should be implemented by any specific entity, only that the world would be better off with Geoengineering that is responsibly done. It is my opponent's burden to either show that it can't be responsibly done, or that the world is better off without a responsible Geoengineering program taking place. Geoengineering Geoengineering as defined by wikipedia is "Climate engineering, also referred to as geoengineering or climate intervention, is the deliberate and large-scale intervention in the Earth"s climatic system with the aim of limiting adverse climate change." [1] The particular type of Geoengineering I'd like to advocate for is a form of what's known as solar radiation management, and more specifically a stratospheric Aerosol method that has been determined to give us the most bang for our buck in terms of safety, effectiveness and cost efficiency, as determined by the Royal Society. [2] Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering isn't really some scary new thing. It's performed by replicating the effect of a volcano, which shoots sulphuric acid into the atmosphere. For the most part, we know what these effects will be, and we can take the process slow to start with, so we can adjust for any negative feedback in the system. A study published in science magazine has stated that injecting these sulfates into the atmosphere from time to time (every 1-4 years), will result in the same amount of sulfuric acid pumped into the air by Mount Pintatubo in 1991.[3] This is not a super scary thing with absolutely no precedent. We see it happen during the occasional big volcano explosion. It's a thing that has been extensively studied and is ready to be implemented. Global warming's current effects The Earth is gradually heating and there are a ton of negative impacts that will come and just smack us in the face. Here is the story of the boiling frog for anybody who is unfamiliar with it; "Suppose you want to boil a frog. How do you do it? You could place the frog into a pot of hot water, but as soon as it feels the heat, it will jump out. So, what can you do? Put a pot of cool water on the stove and then add the frog. Not sensing danger the frog will stay. Next, turn the burner on low to slowly heat the water. As the water warms, the frog relaxes. The warmth feels good. As the water gets hotter it acts like a steam bath draining away energy and deepening the frog's relaxation. The frog becomes sleepy and has less and less energy while the water is getting hotter and hotter. By the time the frog realizes its danger, the water is beginning to boil, and it is too late to take action. There is neither time nor energy left to do anything. The frog perishes in the boiling water. [4]This is what's happening to the Earth and who knows when or where the tipping point is, that will make us the boiling frogs (metaphorically speaking). The projected effects of global warming from decades ago, are starting to bear fruit. "Global warming is making hot days hotter, rainfall and flooding heavier, hurricanes stronger and droughts more severe. This intensification of weather and climate extremes will be the most visible impact of global warming in our everyday lives. It is also causing dangerous changes to the landscape of our world, adding stress to wildlife species and their habitat." [5] Global warming is a threat to our energy infrastructure with extreme weather being able to destroy the infrastructure almost out of nowhere. [5] There seems to be almost exclusively negative economic impacts. The Stern review estimates that global warming will decrease global GDP by 5% a year, every year.[6] From mass migration to increased allergies, flooding of business districts and droughts faced by farmers. There is a lot to be worried about. Besides what global warming is doing to us currently, there are some extremely negative effects, approaching at a rapid pace. "Species that depend on one another may become out of sync. For example, plants could bloom earlier than their pollinating insects become active.Floods and droughts will become more common. Rainfall in Ethiopia, where droughts are already common, could decline by 10 percent over the next 50 years.Less fresh water will be available. If the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2100, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.Some diseases will spread, such as malaria carried by mosquitoes.Ecosystems will change"some species will move farther north or become more successful; others won"t be able to move and could become extinct. Wildlife research scientist Martyn Obbard has found that since the mid-1980s, with less ice on which to live and fish for food, polar bears have gotten considerably skinnier. Polar bear biologist Ian Stirling has found a similar pattern in Hudson Bay. He fears that if sea ice disappears, the polar bears will as well." [7]That's right I brought the Polar Bears into this. Cutting emissions is not enough Taking care of the symptoms, doesn't mean we have to ignore the root of the problem. There is a misconception that we have to choose to attack the root of the problem or the symptom of it, which is just false. We can attack both simultaneously. We don't do one thing and completely neglect the other. According to a study cited by The Conversation, and costing $35; "The first study, led by Thomas Gasser, used results from 11 Earth System Models, in conjunction with a simple carbon-cycle models to simulate different emissions reductions scenarios associated with the low emissions pathway, RCP2.6.They showed that under all emissions reductions scenarios, even slashing emissions to less than 4 billion tonnes CO2 each year, (greater than a 90% cut in current emissions) is insufficient to limit warming to 2C." [8]If we want to stop the damages from global warming, cutting carbon emissions is not enough. We need to start implementing the best Geoengineering technology around. Conclusion We can end global warming in our lifetime.mankind can do something great in this generation that will have an amazing impact for the future of mankind. It is better we implement this technology now, and in an extremely controlled manner, than waiting for Greenland to fall into the ocean and having to make desperate Hail Mary attempts at fixing this damage. The sooner we implement something, the sooner we can avert disaster, and the less extreme we have to get in how we attack the problem. sources[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org...[2] http://2020science.org...[3] http://m.sciencemag.org...[4] http://www.lessons4living.com...[5] https://www.nwf.org...[6] http://student.purduecal.edu...[7] http://environment.nationalgeographic.com...[8] http://theconversation.com...