Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions
Abstract Geoengineering is the focus of a large debate over potential solutions to climate change. However, in the midst of geoengineering and other large‐scale proposals, such as reducing emissions at an industrial level, the role of individual actions to reduce emissions is often overlooked. Given...
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| Format: | Article |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Earth's Future |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001734 |
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doaj-8f257e8384e942f68821ec4369e1da342021-03-26T21:42:31ZengAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU)Earth's Future2328-42772021-03-0193n/an/a10.1029/2020EF001734Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle EmissionsEmily G. Murray0Andrea L. DiGiorgio1Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University Princeton NJ USAPrinceton Writing Program Princeton NJ USAAbstract Geoengineering is the focus of a large debate over potential solutions to climate change. However, in the midst of geoengineering and other large‐scale proposals, such as reducing emissions at an industrial level, the role of individual actions to reduce emissions is often overlooked. Given the current and fast‐paced changes we have seen as emissions are reduced by COVID‐19 social distancing strategies, it is time to re‐examine the impact that individual actions can have. This paper considers how one individual action (reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline‐fueled private vehicles), when adopted at a global scale, may have an effect that is comparable to the effects of geoengineering. This paper also argues that the role of geoengineering as a safeguard against climate change may be encouraging complacency and reducing motivation for individual action.https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001734Climate changeCarbon dioxide (CO2) emissionsElectric vehiclesGeoengineeringHybrid vehiclesIndividual action |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
English |
| format |
Article |
| sources |
DOAJ |
| author |
Emily G. Murray Andrea L. DiGiorgio |
| spellingShingle |
Emily G. Murray Andrea L. DiGiorgio Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions Earth's Future Climate change Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions Electric vehicles Geoengineering Hybrid vehicles Individual action |
| author_facet |
Emily G. Murray Andrea L. DiGiorgio |
| author_sort |
Emily G. Murray |
| title |
Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions |
| title_short |
Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions |
| title_full |
Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions |
| title_fullStr |
Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Will Individual Actions Do the Trick? Comparing Climate Change Mitigation Through Geoengineering Versus Reduced Vehicle Emissions |
| title_sort |
will individual actions do the trick? comparing climate change mitigation through geoengineering versus reduced vehicle emissions |
| publisher |
American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
| series |
Earth's Future |
| issn |
2328-4277 |
| publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
| description |
Abstract Geoengineering is the focus of a large debate over potential solutions to climate change. However, in the midst of geoengineering and other large‐scale proposals, such as reducing emissions at an industrial level, the role of individual actions to reduce emissions is often overlooked. Given the current and fast‐paced changes we have seen as emissions are reduced by COVID‐19 social distancing strategies, it is time to re‐examine the impact that individual actions can have. This paper considers how one individual action (reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline‐fueled private vehicles), when adopted at a global scale, may have an effect that is comparable to the effects of geoengineering. This paper also argues that the role of geoengineering as a safeguard against climate change may be encouraging complacency and reducing motivation for individual action. |
| topic |
Climate change Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions Electric vehicles Geoengineering Hybrid vehicles Individual action |
| url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EF001734 |
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AT emilygmurray willindividualactionsdothetrickcomparingclimatechangemitigationthroughgeoengineeringversusreducedvehicleemissions AT andrealdigiorgio willindividualactionsdothetrickcomparingclimatechangemitigationthroughgeoengineeringversusreducedvehicleemissions |
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