Source: handsoffmotherearth.org
15 February, 2023–Civil Society Organizations that advocate for climate and environmental justice are calling on the African Union to not Geoengineer Africa ahead of the African Union Heads of States Summit to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, citing that geoengineering is a techno-fix that can only provide an excuse for Africa and the Global North to continue relying on fossil-fuel based energy generation in light of the ongoing climate emergency. Advancing geoengineering technologies distracts countries from their commitments to large emission cuts, responsible consumption and delivering over-due climate finance. A letter submitted last year during the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), signed by 35+ African CSOs, expressed deep concerns about the recent proposals to advance geoengineering technologies in Africa. Geoengineering technologies imply a grave threat to Africa, its people, and the environment. Geoengineering refers to the large-scale and long-term technological manipulations and interventions in the Earth’s oceans, land and atmosphere with the aim of altering climate systems to evade some of the symptoms of climate change, rather than addressing its root causes.- Geoengineering technologies include for example:
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- Spraying reflective particles into the layer above the atmosphere to create a reflective layer to act as a reflective barrier against incoming sunlight (or solar radiation) from reaching the Earth and warming her. The speculative, hypothetical and transboundary technology is modelled to be deployed for decades or centuries. (Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, also known as ‘Solar Geoengineering’)
- Dumping large volumes of micro- or macro-nutrients (like iron or urea) into the ocean changes its chemistry and aims to create an epidemic of phytoplankton. The phytoplankton is intended to die, sink and transport carbon to the bottom of the sea. (Ocean Fertilization).
- Burning of very large quantities of cultivated crops, trees or plant residues from farmlands and forests - aiming to capture the CO2 arising from the combustion process. The CO2 is then transported and stored underground, theoretically, for long-term storage (Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage - BECCS).
- Using extremely energy intensive and (in some cases) water-demanding processes or/and machines to capture Carbon Dioxide and inject it through newly built large scale pipeline networks, deep underground. (Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage - DACCS)
- Humans may have to use these technologies for decades or thousands of years - where we could be locked into the cascading social, environmental and politically harmful consequences of using them.
- Evade their own responsibilities for causing climate change, and their obligations to reduce their excessive consumption and dangerous climate pollution;
- Continue and expand the exploitation of Africa for fossil fuels and other resources to fuel their continued over-consumption and pollution;
- Shift the burden of climate change further to Africa as the most vulnerable continent, which has done the least to cause climate change;
- Distract Africa from its focus on climate finance, adaptation and real solutions, and to skew climate finance away from African priorities towards the priorities of rich countries and corporations;
- Turn Africa into a testing ground for the most dangerous techniques of manipulating the atmosphere, land and oceans, designed to continue and entrench current patterns of consumption, production, pollution and profit;
- Persuade Africans that these approaches are in their best interest and should become their own agenda, which they should champion.
- Kwami Kpondzo, Africa Regional Focal Point, Global Forest Coalition said:
- Mfoniso Antia, Africa Technology Assessment Platform (AfriTAP) said:
- Geoffrey Kamese, Bio Vision Africa (Kenya) said:
- Bhekumuzi Dean Bhebhe, Campaigns Lead , Power Shift Africa said:
- Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Health Foundation (HOMEF) said:
- Ubrei-Joe, Maimoni, Coordinator, Climate Justice and Energy Program, Friends of the Earth Africa said:
