The War Over Geoengineering (Videos)

Indeed, warfare now includes the technological ability to induce, enhance or direct cyclonic events, earthquakes, drought and flooding, including the use of polymerized aerosol viral agents and radioactive particulates carried through global weather systems. Various themes in public debate, including global warming, have unfortunately been subsumed into much larger military and commercial objectives that have nothing to do with broad public environmental concerns. These include the gradual warming of polar regions to facilitate naval navigation and resource extraction.

Matt Andersson
Former executive adviser, aerospace & defense, Booz Allen Hamilton, Chicago

• Richard Mountford (Letters, 8 February) says investment in geoengineering is necessary because of “electorates not supporting the radical changes to their lifestyles … required by significant emissions cuts”. He has a point, but I’d regard the lifestyle changes suggested by, say, the Centre for Alternative Technology‘s Zero Carbon Britain report as considerably milder than some of those which politicians are already imposing on their electorates – such as removal of public transport from rural areas, or forcing young people to work without pay. Politicians seem to have no problem about imposing Draconian measures when they fit in with their ideology or when they can plead force majeure.

I can’t see any way to tackle the former until we improve the quality of our democracy, but could the latter be tackled by setting up a “Green IMF” which would impose different conditionalities on its loans, such as, for example, a combination of development of public services (including public transport) and restraint on consumer goods spending.

Simon Norton
Cambridge