And Thus, The Religion Of Environmentalism Comes Full Circle

Just in time for “Earth Day”, the L.A. Times explains “Why cleaner air could speed global warming.”

Cleaner air, one of the signature achievements of the U.S. environmental movement, is certainly worth celebrating.

But even as industrialized and developing nations alike steadily reduce aerosol pollution — caused primarily by burning coal — climate scientists are beginning to understand just how much these tiny particles have helped keep the planet cool.

In the face of severe climate risks, credible scientists are beginning to study geo-engineering — tinkering with global systems to reduce warming directly. One scheme is to spew sulfates or other sun-blocking particles miles high in the stratosphere. If it worked, it would mimic the natural cooling effect of volcanoes, replacing the near-surface sulfate mask with a much higher one. But the possible side effects could be dire, including damage to the ozone layer. The potential geopolitical implications, like wars over the thermostat, could be devastating as well.

We might need geo-engineering to stave off the worst effects of the warming. But most climate scientists think we’re not there yet. And so the most important thing we can do now is to train our sights on both the unexpectedly helpful sulfates and the unexpectedly pernicious carbon. We can’t continue to only focus on traditional pollutants without reducing greenhouse emissions. We simply have to find a way to clean our air of both.

Of course, geo-engineering to re-pollute the upper atmosphere was an idea floated last year by John Holdren, the Obama administration’s Malthusian, Strangelovian in-house mad scientist. Or as Jim Treacher quipped, that whole “‘Obama is a megalomaniac’ thing is such a ridiculous right-wing smear. By the way, now he wants to take over the weather.”

In the meantime, Penn Jillette looks back and weeps, as man’s last best hope of solving this “crisis” via more down-to-earth solutions could soon be no more.

Perhaps anticipating next year’s headline explaining how clean water causes global warming, Al Gore is getting a jump on the matter.

Hey, he didn’t call his last book “The Assault on Reason” for nothing, you know.

(H/T: Free Republic)