Asilomar International Conference on Climate Intervention
Pacific Grove, CA. March 22-26, 2010
Agenda
Jump to: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
3:00 - 6:00 PM Arrival and Registration (registration continues through meeting)
(Phoebe Hearst Social Hall)
6:00 - 7:00 PM Dinner (Crocker Hall)
7:30 - 9:00 PM Welcome and Introduction to the Conference (Merrill Hall)
Presentations:
Michael MacCracken, Climate Institute
Margaret Leinen, Climate Response Fund
8:00 – 9:00 PM Plenary: Insights from Experiences with Guidelines and Oversight
(Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Jane Long, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Presentations:
David Winickoff, University of California Berkeley
Lessons from Experiences with Research Guidelines in Medical and Other Fields
Scott Barrett, Columbia University: Discussant
7:30 - 8:30 AM Breakfast (Crocker Hall)
8:30 - 8:45 AM Conference Opening: Michael MacCracken, Climate Institute (Merrill Hall)
8:45 AM - 12:00 Plenary: The Physical Science Aspects of Climate Intervention (Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Richard Somerville, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Presentations:
John Shepherd FRS, University of Southampton, Introduction and Overview of Proposed Approaches to Climate Intervention
Phil Rasch, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Model Analyses of the Potential for Aerosols in the Troposphere or Stratosphere to Limit Incoming Solar Radiation
David Keith, University of Calgary, Experimenting with Solar Radiance Engineering: Possibilities, Limits and their Policy Implications
Richard Lampitt, National Oceanography Centre, The Potential for and Challenges of Enhancing Ocean Uptake of Carbon
Jerry Melillo, Marine Biological Laboratory, The Potential for and Challenges of Storing More Carbon in the Terrestrial Biosphere
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (Crocker Hall)
1:30 - 5:30 PM Plenary: The Social Science Context of Climate Intervention (Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Diana Liverman, University of Arizona
Presentations:
Catherine Redgwell, University College, London, The International Legal Framework for Climate Intervention
Oran Young, University of California Santa Barbara, Governing Climate Intervention: Lessons from the Study of International Institutions
David Morrow, University of Chicago, Ethical principles for trials of climate intervention technologies
Steve Smith, PNNL, The economic context for climate intervention
Scott Barrett, Columbia University, Geoengineering: Incentives and Institutions
David Victor, University of California San Diego, Regulating the Testing of Geoengineering Systems
Granger Morgan, Carnegie-Mellon University, Decision-making Frameworks for Geoengineering Policies
5:45 PM Group picture
6:00 - 7:00 PM Dinner (Crocker Hall)
7:30 - 9:00 PM Plenary: Plans for National and International Research Programs and Coordination (Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Tom Lovejoy, Heinz Center
Panel:
James Wilsdon, Royal Society: UK/EU Policy and Investment in Geoengineering Research
Tim Persons, US Government Accountability Office
Graeme Pearman, Monash University
Pablo Suarez, Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre
7:30 - 8:30 AM Breakfast (Crocker Hall)
8:30 - 9:45 AM Plenary: Thoughts on the Development of Guidelines for Research
(Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Graeme Pearman, Monash University
Presentations:
Stephen Schneider, Stanford University, Geoengineering: Savior, Stopgap or Non-starter
Steve Rayner, Oxford University, Draft Principles for the Conduct of Geoengineering Research
Michael MacCracken, Climate Institute, Introduction to the Wednesday and Thursday Morning Breakout Groups and Plenary Discussions
10:00 - 12:00 PM Breakout Groups: Guideline Issues Arising from Consideration of the Scientific Research Needed for the Various Approaches to Climate Intervention
Breakout Group A (Merrill Hall)
Research to Evaluate Approaches for Solar Radiation Management in the Stratosphere and Above Aimed at Moderating Global Climate Change
Breakout Session Leaders:
Tom Wigley, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Ted Parson, University of Michigan
Rapporteurs: Ben Kravitz and Kate Ricke
Specific Approaches/Objectives for Breakout Group Consideration:
Stratospheric injection of sulfate or other materials (global or regional coverage)
Satellite deflection of solar radiation
Others?
Breakout Group B (Toyon Room)
Research Needed to Evaluate Approaches for Solar Radiation Management in the Troposphere and at the Surface Aimed at Moderating Specific Aspects of Global Warming
Breakout Session Leaders:
Roger Barry, University of Colorado Boulder
Steven Hamburg, Environmental Defense Fund
Rapporteurs: Ashley Mercer and Rachel Hauser
Specific Approaches/Objectives for Breakout Group Consideration:
Cloud brightening (global or regional coverage via sea salt or DMS)
Sulfate aerosols (regional coverage)
Ocean brightening
Arctic intervention
Hurricane modification
Others?
Breakout Group C (Scripps Room)
Research Needed to Evaluate Approaches for Increasing the Uptake and Storage of Carbon in the Ocean (Ocean Carbon Capture and Storage) and Limiting Ocean Acidification
Breakout Session Leaders:
Richard Lampitt, National Oceanography Centre
Chris Vivian, Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Rapporteurs: Jesse Reynolds and George Collins
Specific Approaches/Objectives for Breakout Group Consideration:
Ocean fertilization
Ocean alkanization
Accelerated weathering
Deep ocean storage of carbon dioxide
Others?
Breakout Group D (Heather Hall
Research Needed to Evaluate Approaches for Increasing the Uptake and Storage of Carbon Below the Surface and in the Terrestrial Biosphere
Breakout Session Leaders:
Tom Lovejoy, Heinz Center
Diana Liverman, University of Arizona
Rapporteurs: Gabrielle Wong-Parodi and Bidisha Banerjee
Specific Approaches/Objectives for Breakout Group Consideration:
Increased uptake by and storage in terrestrial vegetation and soil
Biochar
Others?
Breakout Group E (Acacia Room)
Research Needed to Evaluate Approaches for Direct Removal of Greenhouse Gases from the Atmosphere
Breakout Session Leaders:
Jane Long, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Stephen Seidel, Pew Center on Global Climate Change
Rapporteurs: Noah Bonnheim and Amanda Reynolds
Specific Approaches/Objectives for Breakout Group Consideration:
Carbon scrubbing
Methane removal
Halocarbon removal
Geological storage
Storage in concrete
Others?
12:00 - 1:00 PM Lunch (Crocker Hall)
1:00 - 9:00 PM Posters can be viewed during breaks
1:30 - 5:30 PM Parallel Plenary Sessions (see below)
Guidelines to Ensuring the Scientific Quality of Research on Climate Intervention Technologies, with a focus on the scientific aspects
Group 1 (Merrill Hall): Solar Radiation Management and Similar Approaches to Reduce Energy Addition
Session Co-chairs:
John Shepherd, University of Southampton, and
Richard Somerville, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Rapporteurs: Rachel Hauser and Ashley Mercer
Presentations by breakout groups A and B, followed by general discussion
Group 2 (Heather Hall): Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Related Approaches to Reduce Climate Forcing
Session Co-chairs:
Tom Lovejoy, Heinz Center
Richard Lampitt, National Oceanography Centre
Rapporteurs: Jesse Reynolds and Noah Bonnheim
Presentations by breakout groups C, D and E, followed by general discussion
6:00 - 7:00 PM Dinner (Crocker Hall)
7:15 - 8:45 PM Plenary Discussion: Climate change, public attitudes, the media, and insights on implications for public discourse on climate intervention/geoengineering (Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Diana Liverman, University of Arizona
Presenters:
Max Boykoff, University of Colorado: Media Representations of Climate Change and Geoengineering
Tony Leiserowitz, Yale University: Climate Change and Geoengineering in the Public Mind
General discussion
8:45 PM Conference Reception hosted by Climate Response Fund (Merrill Hall)
7:30 - 8:30 AM Breakfast (Crocker Hall)
8:30 - 10:30 AM: Breakout Group A (Merrill Hall)
Mock presentation of proposed experimental protocol for stratospheric or higher SRM approaches to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (so an entity with extensive global membership and potentially capable of considering global risk-risk tradeoffs)
Breakout Session Leaders:
Ted Parson, University of Michigan
Tom Wigley, National Center for Atmospheric Research
Rapporteurs: Ben Kravitz and Kate Ricke
Breakout Group B (Toyon Room)
Mock presentation of proposed experimental protocol to limit arctic climate change to the Arctic Council (for issues relating to the cryosphere—so bringing in perspectives of indigenous peoples, etc.) or the Organization of American States (for issues relating to potential regional intervention relating to hurricane moderation, redirection of storms, etc.), again seeking to identify issues arising in risk-risk evaluations
Breakout Session Leaders:
Steven Hamburg, Environmental Defense Fund
Roger Barry, University of Colorado Boulder
Rapporteurs: Ashley Mercer and Rachel Hauser
Breakout Group C (Scripps Room)
Mock presentation of proposed experimental protocol to the London Convention on Dumping and/or the Convention on Biological Diversity to raise issues relating to confirmation of storage and disruption.
Breakout Session Leaders:
Chris Vivian, Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Richard Lampitt, National Oceanography Centre
Rapporteurs: Jesse Reynolds and George Collins
Breakout Group D (Heather Room)
Mock presentation of proposed experimental protocol to a national environmental regulatory agency about the guidelines relating to the uses of land, water, biomass, and other resources to enhance carbon storage
Breakout Session Leaders:
Diana Liverman, University of Arizona
Tom Lovejoy, Heinz Center
Rapporteurs: Gabrielle Wong-Parodi and Bidisha Banerjee
Breakout Group E (Acacia Room)
Mock presentation of proposed experimental protocol to the US Environmental Protection Agency to draw forth issues relating to direct removal of greenhouse gases and permanent storage or destruction
Breakout Session Leaders:
Stephen Seidel, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and
Jane Long, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Rapporteurs: Noah Bonnheim and Amanda Reynolds
10:30 - 11:00 AM Break
11:00 - 12:00: Presentation of Breakout Group Results (Merrill Hall)
Presentation:
James Fleming, Colby College: What Counts as Knowledge? The Risks of Not Reading History
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (Crocker Hall)
1:30 - 5:30 PM Plenary: Discussion of guideline issues related to governance and societal interests, including decision processes, public opinion and communication, economics and societal perspectives (Merrill Hall)
Session chairs:
Diana Liverman, University of Arizona
Michael MacCracken, Climate Institute
6:00 - 7:00 PM Dinner (Crocker Hall)
7:30 - 9:00 PM Plenary: The possible role of geoengineering in addressing climate change (Merrill Hall)
Session Chair: Steven Hamburg, Environmental Defense Fund
Presentations:
Rob Socolow, Princeton University: Muddling through with Mitigation and Adaptation: Geoengineering's Formidable Competitor
Tom Wigley, University of Adelaide: Geoengineering: Making the Difference Between Realistic and Unrealistic Mitigation Goals
7:30 - 8:30 AM Breakfast (Crocker Hall)
8:30 - 11:00 AM Plenary Session (Merrill Hall)
Plenary consideration statement from the workshop about the discussions at the workshop, areas of agreement and not, areas meriting further discussion (including provision for expressing differences of viewpoint)
Session Chairs:
John Shepherd, University of Southampton
Michael MacCracken, Climate Institute
11:00 AM Conference closes