The humor writers for Jay Leno and David Letterman can take the rest of the week off. Just in from The Guardian:
"The US government wants the world's scientists to develop technology to block sunlight as a last-ditch way to halt global warming, the Guardian has learned. It says research into techniques such as giant mirrors in space or reflective dust pumped into the atmosphere would be "important insurance" against rising emissions, and has lobbied for such a strategy to be recommended by a major UN report on climate change, the first part of which will be published on Friday."
This is not a spoof from The Onion. Read on...
"The US has also attempted to steer the UN report, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), away from conclusions that would support a new worldwide climate treaty based on binding targets to reduce emissions - as sought by Tony Blair. It has demanded a draft of the report be changed to emphasise the benefits of voluntary agreements and to include criticisms of the Kyoto Protocol, the existing treaty which the US administration opposes."
Note that the Bush Administration doesn't hesitate to undercut Tony Blair when they feel its in their best interests.
The US response is supported by dozens of government officials including Harlan Watson, senior climate negotiator at the US state department. It calls the IPCC report "Kyoto-centric" and complains that overall "the report tends to overstate or focus on the negative effects of climate change."
The US submission, says
the idea of interfering with sunlight should be included in the summary for policymakers, the prominent chapter at the front of each IPCC report. It says: "Modifying solar radiance may be an important strategy if mitigation of emissions fails. Doing the R&D to estimate the consequences of applying such a strategy is important insurance that should be taken out. This is a very important possibility that should be considered."
Said the IPCC:
"Such ideas were "speculative, uncosted and with potential unknown side-effects".
Read the full story here. You'll either laugh or cry.