The US House of Representatives, in the form of the House Committee on Science and Technology’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee, decided to look into that whole geoengineering thing:

Subcommittee Examines Geoengineering Strategies and Hazards:

Today, House Committee on Science and Technology’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the scientific basis and engineering challenges of geoengineering, a term that encompasses a wide range of strategies to deliberately alter the Earth’s climate systems for the purpose of counteracting the effects of climate change.

“Make no mistake, despite the sometimes far-fetched proposals, this is not a subject that should be taken lightly,” said Chairman Brian Baird (D-WA). “As Chairman Gordon has also made clear: geoengineering has been proposed as—and it can only be responsibly discussed as—a last-ditch measure in the case that traditional carbon mitigation efforts prove ineffective on their own. Even then, a tremendous amount of research is required to know what strategies may be worth deploying.”

Members questioned witnesses about the science, engineering needs, environmental impacts, price, efficacy, and permanence of select geoengineering proposals.

…

This hearing is the second of a three-part series on geoengineering in the Committee on Science and Technology. The series is intended to create the foundation for an informed and open dialogue on the science and engineering of geoengineering. The Full Committee held the first hearing on November 5, 2009, entitled Geoengineering: Assessing the Implications of Large-Scale Climate Intervention. The third hearing is planned forspring of 2010 and will cover issues of governance.

The series of hearings is part of a partnership with the United Kingdom House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. The two Committees are holding parallel hearings and sharing materials once they are publically available. The Commons Committee’s hearings and requests for information focus on the domestic and international regulatory frameworks that may be applicable to geoengineering.

See that link for a bit more detail on the hearings.

The witness statements from the November 9, 2009 hearing:

The witness statements from the February 4, 2010 hearing:


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