Geoengineering refers to a wide range of mechanical or chemical methods aimed at deliberately changing the global climate system. It includes a number of unproven concepts, one of which is intentionally polluting the upper atmosphere with thousands of tons of artificial particles such as chemical sprays or mineral dust. This is referred to as solar radiation management or SRM. The idea is to dim sunlight, thereby slowing the rise of global temperatures by deflecting solar energy away from the Earth’s surface before it can be trapped as heat by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The United Nations Environmental Program held workshops in May and September to address the issue of such strategies. This official position of the UN is that strategies such as SRM are not a climate solution given that they do not actually address the underlying causes of climate change. Recent research has shown that SRM efforts could potentially shift rainfall patterns, intensify heat waves or cold snaps, lead to overall drying, and have other unpredictable consequences.
Many participants expressed concern that the discussion focused too much on engineering aspects and not on the potential risks of such efforts. The prevailing opinion among scientists is that SRM deployment is too dangerous and ungovernable and therefore should not be pursued.
Current geopolitical trends make the possibility of geoengineering efforts by authoritarian states disturbingly likely. While there are international guidelines on geoengineering activities, the potential threat of unilateral efforts by rogue nations is growing.
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UN Sessions on Solar Geoengineering Trigger Unease
Photo, posted May 12, 2016, courtesy of Susanne Nilsson via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio