DTN 009: Regulating Solar Geoengineering

Solar Geoengineering Should Be Regulated, U.N. Report Says

“This group unanimously suggests [stratospheric aerosol injection] be considered within a new broader framework for the governance of the stratosphere,” the experts wrote in the report by the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP. “Other activities such as rocket launches may also be considered as little regulatory or governance structures presently exist for the stratosphere.” (Scientific American)

The vertical farming bubble is finally popping

“Nearly 20 years after the first vertical farm opened, with capital drying up like heads of romaine under an unrelenting California heat wave, one now has to wonder two things: Is it even possible to compete with the economics of outdoor farming? And how did investors think that they could find Silicon Valley-style returns in . . . lettuce?” (Fast Company)

The Mining Industry’s Next Frontier Is Deep, Deep Under the Sea

“The world’s long-overdue, fitful transition to renewable energy is hobbled by an Achilles’ heel: It requires staggering quantities of natural resources. Manufacturing enough electric vehicles to replace their fossil-fueled counterparts will require billions of tons of cobalt, lithium, copper, and other metals. To meet the exploding demand, mining companies, carmakers, and governments are scouring the planet for potential mines or expanding existing ones, from the deserts of Chile to the rain forests of Indonesia. Meanwhile, what might be the richest source of all—the ocean floor—remains untapped.” (Wired)