SSEECHANGE
We are all in the Shift
Technical innovation
Parts of the answer 1: Technical Innovation
Giant space mirrors, iron particles planted in the sea, simulated volcanoes: these are just some of the technological solutions being proposed to combat climate change. Heralded by some, and dismissed by others as signs of desperation, they are the extreme edge of the belief that climate change can be curbed through technical innovation. Wind farms have been growing
by over 25% for the last few years, and along with biofuels, solar power, wave energy, and more have made alternative energy a very attractive sector, especially for venture capital. If by 2030 we could meet 70% of worldwide energy demand from low-carbon fuels, meeting carbon reduction targets might be feasible. But there are a lot of assumptions tucked away inside that forecast. For example, it assumes hydro-power and especially nuclear energy will not encounter the kind of public hostility they have faced in many countries, and what's more that we can magically produce enough qualified engineers and skilled workers to meet the rise in demand. It also assumes that we will develop carbon capture and sequestration technologies and other facets of a new wave of clean coal power stations - technologies that promise a lot but are for the most part still being tested. Some recent estimates suggest that without significant reductions in total energy use, the world will need to build the equivalent of one 1GW nuclear power station every day between now and 2030 to meet renewable energy demand.
Pacala & Socolow did the world a huge service when they published their 'stabilisation wedges' in 2004 - see diagram. These showed the rates of energy growth that would be possible by 2050 if existing technologies for a low carbon economy were introduced and scaled up. Each wedge is what a particular type of technology or behavioural change could deliver. For instance, more efficient vehicles could account for one wedge, wind turbines for another, and nuclear power a third. The wedges show that we don't need entirely new technologies to make progress in stabilising carbon emissions. But they also show the amount of effort and investment that will be required: for instance, to build a new power distribution infrastructure, or to expand photovoltaic cells. They have also been developed to show that technology alone is not enough, and that combating deforestation, or changes in agricultural practices are also important, each requiring that we think not only about technical innovation but equally process innovation and policy.