Survey finds public support for geoengineering research

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.iop.org/news/11/oct/page_52541.html

Survey finds public support for geoengineering research

24 October 2011 | Source: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/4/044006">Environmental Research Letters

Research on geoengineering appears to have broad public support, as a new, internationally-representative survey revealed that 72 per cent of respondents approved research into the climate-manipulating technique.

The study, published today, 24 October, in IOP Publishing’s journal Environmental Research Letters, is the first international survey on public perception of geoengineering and solar radiation management (SRM) and shows that these terms are becoming increasingly embedded into public discourse.

Public awareness of geoengineering is remarkably broad. Eight per cent of the sample were able to provide a correct definition of geoengineering, an increase on previous estimates; however, 45 per cent of the sample correctly defined the alternative term “climate engineering”, adding weight to the argument that “geoengineering” may be misleading and difficult to understand.

The 18 question, internet-based survey was completed by 3,105 participants from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States at the end of 2010, and was designed to ascertain how widespread public knowledge of geoengineering was and how the public actually perceived it.

…

[Nihil]

1. 8% of the internet-sampled 3,105 knew what geoengineering was ...

... even though this has been the standard term used for decades amongst
technologists & environmentalists alike.

45% "correctly defined" a new, ambiguous & fluffy term ("climate engineering")
that can be used to claim support for the "Technology will dig us out of the
shit without having to impact my consumption or convenience" approach instead.

Conveniently, this will be most definitely used in conjunction with one of
said projects ("Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering")
right up to the point when 40% of that 45% learn about the impact, the risks
and the downright stupidity of such unicorn fart "projects".

:thumbsdown: