Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder and Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
The key note of sustainable development is geoengineering . The term is scientific difficult to understand for the social scientist. “Geoengineering is the deliberate modification of Earth’s natural environment on a large scale to suit human needs An example is greenhouse gas remediation, which removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, usually through carbon sequestration techniques such as carbon dioxide air capture. Solar radiation management reduces absorbed solar radiation, such as by the addition of stratospheric sulfur aerosols or painting roofs of houses white. No large-scale geoengineering projects have yet been undertaken. “Nevertheless it includes the activities like engaging in a global-scale tree planting effort, bio-energy with carbon capture and sequestration, ambient Air Capture, Ocean Fertilisation, enhanced weathering. Ocean alkalinity enhancement.
Geoengineering, needs large-scale intervention in development process in terms of sustainability . This is to reduce damaging effects of global warming.. There are strategies like mitigation and adaptation to enable the climate change victims to find way out of dangers. ‘Climate engineering approaches are sometimes viewed as additional potential options for limiting climate change or its impacts, alongside mitigation and adaptation. Scientists by and large agree that ‘climate engineering cannot substitute for climate change mitigation Some approaches might be used as accompanying measures to sharp cuts in greenhouse gasemissions. Given that all types of measures for addressing climate change have economic, political, or physical limitations some climate engineering approaches might eventually be used as part of an ensemble of measures, which can be referred to as climate restoration Research on costs, benefits, and various types of risks of most climate engineering approaches is at an early stage and their understanding needs to improve to judge their adequacy and feasibility’
Geoengineering method has been highly technical to prepare the vulnerable countries for removing greenhouse gases. There is ‘Greenhouse gas removal approaches” replete with ‘carbon dioxide removal’ somewhat representing ‘the most prominent subcategory addresses the cause of global warming by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere Solar radiation management attempts to offset effects of greenhouse gases by causing the Earth to absorb less solar radiation’
Now a days geoengineering methods are in wider use to address the burning issue like global warming. International policy community holding earth summit every year to think of proper application of geoengineering techniques as a right scientific approach. To cite a research note:
Scientists and policymakers are exploring ways in which to cool the planet. A number of geoengineering strategies, or ways in which the environment might be manipulated to offset global warming, have emerged, though there is not yet an agreed upon definition of which methods should be categorized as geoengineering.According to the Royal Society’s report on geoengineering the climate released in 2009, there are two main approaches. One involves deflecting a small amount of the sun’s light and heat away from the planet to lower global temperatures; this could include the use of reflective aerosols or mirrors high in the atmosphere, or may require the deliberate formation of clouds. A second general method for cooling the planet involves removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, either via sequestration or CO2 capture, or possibly through ocean iron fertilization to promote the growth of CO2-consuming algae.These different geoengineering methods are at various levels of technological development, have very different costs/benefits, and are not expected to work equally efficiently. Currently, the only methods that are really considered ready or near-ready for deployment are forestation, and capture from fossil fuels combined with underground storage. For all the other methods there is much more uncertainty and/or much higher projected costs.
This is a sort of biotechnologies. The fulfillment of all these tasks will require the reorientation of technology the key link between humans and nature. First, the capacity for technological innovation needs to be greatly enhanced in developing countries so that they can respond more effectively to the challenges of sustainable development. Second, the orientation of technology development must be changed to pay greater attention to environmental factors. The technologies of industrial countries are not always suited or easily adaptable to the socio-economic and environmental conditions of developing countries. To compound the problem, the bulk of world research and development addresses few of the pressing issues facing these countries, such as arid-land agriculture or the control of tropical diseases. Not enough is being done to adapt recent innovations in materials technology, energy conservation, information technology, and biotechnology to the needs of developing countries. These gaps must be covered by enhancing research, design, development, and extension capabilities in the Third World. In all countries, the processes of generating alternative technologies, upgrading traditional ones, and selecting and adapting imported technologies should be informed by environmental resource concerns. Most technological research by commercial organizations is devoted to product and process innovations that have market value. Technologies are needed that produce ‘social goods’, such as improved air quality or increased product life, or that resolve problems normally outside the cost calculus of individual enterprises, such as the external costs of pollution or waste disposal.(Mashreque 2016)
The role of public policy is to ensure, through incentives and disincentives, that commercial organizations find it worthwhile to take fuller account of environmental factors in the technologies they develop. Publicly funded research institutions also need such direction, and the objectives of sustainable development and environmental protection must be built into the mandates of the institutions that work in environmentally sensitive areas. The development of environmentally appropriate technologies is closely related to questions of risk management. Such systems as nuclear reactors, electric and other utility distribution networks, communication systems, and mass transportation are vulnerable if stressed beyond a certain point. The fact that they are connected through networks tends to make them immune to small disturbances but more vulnerable to unexpected disruptions that exceed a finite threshold. Applying sophisticated analyses of vulnerabilities and past failures to technology design, manufacturing standards, and contingency plans in operations can make the consequences of a failure or accident much less catastrophic. The best vulnerability and risk analysis has not been applied consistently across technologies or systems. A major purpose of large system design should be to make the consequences of failure or sabotage less serious. There is thus a need for new techniques and technologies – as well as legal and institutional mechanisms – for safety design and control, accident prevention, contingency planning, damage mitigation, and provision of relief. Environmental risks arising from technological and developmental decisions impinge on individuals and areas that have little or no influence on those decisions. Their interests must be taken into account. National and international institutional mechanisms are needed to assess potential impacts of new technologies before they are widely used, in order to ensure that their production, use, and disposal do not overstress environmental resources. Similar arrangements are required for major interventions in natural systems, such as river diversion or forest clearance. In addition, liability for damages from unintended consequences must be strengthened and enforced.
(Dr. M Abul Kashem Mozumder, Pro-VC, BUP and Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, Retired Professor, Chittagong University)
