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THE balloon will not go up. A controversial geoengineering field test has been cancelled after the lead scientist learned of a patent on the technology held by several of his collaborators.
The Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering , run by researchers at three UK universities, is investigating cooling the planet by releasing aerosol particles into the stratosphere. The field test would have tested the feasibility of the delivery system – a hose lofted by a balloon – by pumping out water spray at an altitude of 1 kilometre.
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The field test would have tested the feasibility of using hoses lofted by balloons to cool the planet
In October 2011 the field test was postponed for six months, after an decided more public engagement was needed.
Now lead scientist at the University of Bristol, has .
At issue was , filed in 2009 by independent consultant engineer Peter Davidson. Watson only learned of the patent late last year.
at the University of Cambridge, who is also named on the patent, says it was not filed to make a profit, but to enable the engineers to retain control of their ideas. “We wouldn’t want ExxonMobil or Shell to have control,” he says.
Other geoengineering projects will not be affected, but the embarrassing circumstances of the cancellation may tarnish the field’s reputation.