Geoengineering explores large-scale interventions designed to counteract climate change by manipulating Earth's climate system. This includes methods like solar...
Geoengineering refers to large-scale deliberate interventions in the Earth's natural systems, primarily designed to counteract climate change by either reflecting sunlight or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The two primary categories are Solar Radiation Management (SRM), which aims to reflect sunlight back into space, and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), which focuses on actively removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Common SRM examples include stratospheric aerosol injection (releasing reflective particles into the upper atmosphere) and marine cloud brightening (spraying sea salt aerosols to increase cloud reflectivity).
CDR methods include afforestation/reforestation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), direct air capture (DAC) technologies, and enhanced weathering of rocks.
Key concerns include unpredictable regional climate impacts, ethical dilemmas, potential for international conflict over deployment, and the risk of moral hazard (reducing motivation for emissions reductions).