The Paris Agreement sets a goal for scientists to help our earth reach 1.5 degrees Celsius just above the temperatures before the industrial age. However news suggests that we are about to fall short of this goal.
Is engineering the answer?
After reading a New York Times Article, "Can We Engineer Our Way Out Of The Climate Crisis?", I gained a deeper insight into just how many carbon sequestration projects are taking place to literally alter the Earth's atmosphere, such as CarbFix's carbon machine that is "powered by geothermal energy and capable of capturing up to 36,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and pumping into the bedrock", or The Occidental Plant in Texas which is powered by solar power and estimated to "sequester 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide and even use some of it as a source for oil.
The Mixed Opinions + My Take:
With the increased use of engineering towards the climate, people have developed their owns stances. Those against it argue that this breakout strategy is riskier. Now since manufacturing corporations have less restrictions, how far are they willing to go and what's the guarantee that it won't backfire and destroy our climate even further? Additionally more people have becomes skeptical and claim that the same investors and companies engaging in this strategy are only doing it to reduce their carbon footprint that they've gained throughout their establishment.
With such a complicated debate as this, I truly am divided over the boom in engineering solutions to the climate. I am cautious of these corporations because the lack of restrictions gives off a possibility of future projects that will form based on self-interest and not the climate anymore. However as someone who is easily comforted with numbers backing up anything, maybe mechanical and chemical engineering really is the key to our planet's future. However the case, I advocate for restrictions to be placed in line with the Paris Agreement to avoid failures that could emit more dangerous gases into the atmosphere. With big investors such as Google and JP Morgan investing in these mass-scale carbon sequestration plants, it shows that there is exciting potential that will come through. The most important thing to keep in mind is that these plants aren't the only solution to improving our climate, but rather a factor in it's recovery. We need to be extremely to ensure that we don't cross the line between helping the earth heal and actively manipulating the environment.
