If cooling down the planet would be all we need to do to secure our future, scientists already have the answer; it’s called geoengineering. In light of climate change studies of past decades, geoengineering is becoming an increasingly accepted possible solution for global warming. The problem with it though, is that it is a short-term, risky measure.
The methods range from spraying a fine mist of seawater into low-lying clouds (resulting in an increased reflection of sunlight off clouds), or injecting gas particles that block sunlight into the stratosphere, to launching trillions of mirroring disks into space. Although it is said that direct costs of geoengineering schemes could be as low as few hundredths of that of occuring expenses for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, experience tells us that short-sighted measures have caused massive indirect environmental damage in our past. What is more, reducing global temparature at rising levels of carbon dioxide emission ultimately will lead to the same result: the destruction of our planet. Hence geoengineering is, at least for now, rather to be seen as a “climate-engineering patch”.
A lot of funding is still needed for research in this area. It is first and foremost the responsibility of governments to cooperate with each other in matters concerning sustainable technologies. Concentrating resources on internationally coordinated research programs, for example, would speed up the innovation process. There have also been potential alternative technology proposals, such as capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with chemical reactions and permanently storing them. This could even work a thousand times faster than the rate at which trees absorb CO2, but the underlying technology is still challenging to develop.
The 9th Summer University in Costa Rica has again set standards in higher education for sustainable development (and was awarded by the United Nations for doing so).
Together with 4 universities, Austrian ministries and UNESCO we have completed final steps towards the 1st INEX Sustainability Challenge, an interdisciplinary academic course in spring semester 2010.
In spring 2009 INEX and AIESEC have created the SustainAbility Day and brought sustainability education closer to the students of WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business).
INEX initiated and participated in a great number of workshops and conferences (including UNESCO World Conference on ESD in Bonn, European Forum Alpbach, United Nations Climate Summit COP15 in Copenhagen).
In December we have presented the new INEX logo and launched a new web platform (including this blog you are reading right now). This also includes new content (such as a redefined INEX Vision statement), an INEX Facebook page, a Flickr and a Twitter account.
The INEX team has grown to 15 highly valued people working at the INEX office in Vienna, the Advisory Board now consists of 8 outstanding individuals from Europe and the Americas, and there are plans for opening a Latin America office in 2010.
We are happy to say that we have built dozens of new partnerships during 2009. And last (but certainly not least) INEX was able to identify, inspire, educate and empower dozens of young change makers with its initiatives.
A very big THANK YOU to all of you…
Thank you especially to our committed INEXers and partners, students and friends. Without you we would not have come that far. We would like to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR and are very much looking forward to upcoming activities in 2010!
If you have not done so already, please also enjoy our “INEX Season’s Greetings 2009″ video below.
It’s like yesterday. I met Fabienne and Philipp and I was fascinated about their thing called INEX. Then I visited the website and I was shocked! And I wasn’t alone with this opinion. Martin Herrndorf tagged the old website with redesign in his delicious account. I hope he will remove this tag as soon as possible.
It took not that long and I offered Philipp and Fabienne to help them with a relaunch and voila here we are now.
Now we use Worpress as Blogging and as CMS System. I love Wordpress! There are so many Plugins out there and you can do really cool stuff with them!
Many thanks to Heinrich Kroencke for the new logo and some hints regarding webdesign and colors ;)
And many thanks to Fabienne, Philipp and Damir for doing all this contentstuff :)
I’m proud and I really enjoy surfing on the new website!!!
