Climate Interventions
A three-part series on new ideas to cool the planet.
The risks of climate change have become more urgent while efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not proceeding at an adequate pace to avoid passing critical thresholds. The Climate Interventions series explores new interventions being researched and debated around the world.
Join The Institute for Science & Policy in person and virtually for a series of expert panel discussions held at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on emerging climate interventions from reducing incoming solar radiation to drawing down carbon dioxide through technology and nature-based solutions. We'll look at the scientific understanding and uncertainties around a range of interventions, along with a robust discussion on ethics, risks, and governance. The series is presented in partnership with the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.
Climate Interventions: Carbon Removal and Colorado
July 31, 2024
As Colorado works to achieve its climate goals to reach net zero emissions by 2050, carbon removal and storage are prominent conversations and policy considerations. Building on part two of this series, this panel discussion focused on Colorado-specific nature-based and technological solutions, policies, community engagement, economic incentives, uncertainties, and risks.
Featuring Dominique Gomez, Deputy Directory, Energy Office, State of Colorado; Ashleigh Ross, VP and Head of Commercial Development and Policy, Carbon America; Lauren Gifford, Associate Director, Soil Carbon Solutions Center, Colorado State University; Wil Burns, Co-Director, The Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal, American University and Visiting Professor, Environmental Policy & Culture Program, Northwestern University; and moderated by Kristan Uhlenbrock, Executive Director, Institute for Science & Policy
Read the transcriptWatch the panel discussion.
Climate Interventions: Carbon Dioxide Removal at Scale
June 17, 2024
From nature-based to technological solutions, carbon dioxide removal could help address the root cause of climate change by cleaning up Earth’s atmosphere. Exploring removing carbon at scale means examining the environmental, economic, and social benefits and tradeoffs. During the second panel discussion in our three-part series, we discussed issues of verification, ethics, and community engagement on an array of solutions that exist across broad geographic scales.
Panel includes Wil Burns, Co-Director, Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal, American University and Visiting Professor, Environmental Policy & Culture Program, Northwestern University; Freya Chay, Program Lead, Carbon Plan; Alicia Karspeck, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, [C]Worthy; Celina Scott-Buechler, Senior Resident Fellow for Climate Innovation, Data for Progress; and moderated by Kristan Uhlenbrock, Executive Director, The Institute for Science & Policy.
Read the transcriptWatch the panel discussion.
Climate Interventions: Solar Geoengineering
May 21, 2024
Our first discussion explored solar geoengineering approaches, also known as solar radiation modification/management (SRM), which seek to cool the planet by reflecting some of the incoming energy back to space. To date, most of the research approaches have been restricted to computer modeling. Some proponents, however, are looking to field experiments, and perhaps ultimately, wide-scale deployment. While some options might help ameliorate the impacts of climate change, they also might pose serious risks. Our expert panel discussed the latest deliberations around research, governance, impacts, and more.
Panelists include Wil Burns, Co-Director, Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal, American University & Visiting Professor, Environmental Policy & Culture Program, Northwestern University; Lisa Dilling, Assistant Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund; Shuchi Talati, Founder & Executive Director, The Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering; and moderated by Kristan Uhlenbrock, Executive Director, The Institute for Science & Policy.
Read the transcriptWatch the panel discussion.
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