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hadeohedron | 3 years ago

If there is anybody who sees Indian domestic news and/or articles, could you tell us whether there is any political impetus there to start spraying climate-modifying aerosols at high altitudes regardless of effectiveness and/or international opinion, or if it's completely outside of the Indian overton window?

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sirius87|3 years ago

I don't see this being discussed or something any public figure has said as being considered.

Various states in India are deprioritizing power supply to industries in favour of consumer household use. So domestic news is playing those "govt reduces power supply to industries by 50%" headlines. [1]

Use of ACs and air coolers has skyrocketed the demand for power (38 year high), thereby increasing demand for Coal. Internal politics is now totally fixated on Coal stocks and supply for each state. National govt even blamed some states for "not taking ample steps to end power shortage, not buying enough coal". [2]

National govt cancelled 650 passenger trains to ensure timely delivery of coal supplies by train rakes to states.

[1] https://twitter.com/CNBCTV18Live/status/1520308462533550080

[2] https://twitter.com/CNBCTV18Live/status/1519929083588902912

distances|3 years ago

And is there any sentiment that this is caused by climate change, and coal phase out should be accelerated?

I get the immediate need for electricity, but talk about increasing coal stocks sounds weird nonetheless in light of what the goals are now in Western countries.

vishnugupta|3 years ago

I'm experiencing this heat right now, albeit very very mild but still bad, in southern part of India.

Coming to climate modifying aerosols I haven't heard/read this being discussed. A comparable exercise, cloud seeding, was done couple of years ago. But it was very geographically limited. What we are experiencing right now is unprecedented. So I guess we just have to wait it out.

For comparison; Bangalore used to see high summer temperature of 32-34 about a decade ago. It's gotten progressively worse. To an extent that Bangalore reached ~35-36 as soon as summer months began, mid/late March.

By far the harshest heat I've experienced is back in 2015, early May in Delhi, India. I don't know what the temperature was but the blast of heat wave as soon as I exited from office building is vivid in my memory. Couple of days later I read in news that a few cars spontaneously caught fire around the office building I visited.

Also, fire broke out last week in Delhi last week[1]. So yeah, it's quite bad.

Edit: more content.

[1] https://www.india.com/news/delhi/video-delhi-bhalswa-landfil...

shmageggy|3 years ago

Was this comment inspired by Kim Stanley Robinson’s Ministry for the Future, or is this a case of life-imitates-art-imitates-life?

sbierwagen|3 years ago

Neal Stephenson also published a geoengineering novel this year.

lozenge|3 years ago

The climate effect would extend far beyond India's borders, isn't it a given that more developed countries wouldn't "let" India do it? Of course, I don't expect they will apply the same objections to themselves when it becomes domestically advantageous to geoengineer the climate.

keewee7|3 years ago

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frontman1988|3 years ago

It's not that bad. Less than 1% of the population has emigrated out of India. Surely the top 5% of Indians who are still in India must be somewhat capable