Can geoengineering offer a viable solution to climate change, or does it open a Pandora's box of risks? As humanity grapples with its environmental challenges, we must ask: can we truly control the climate without unintended consequences?
Ever since we found that fossil fuels can be used to run steam engines instead of how Mesopotamia in 3000 BCE used it only for waterproofing, sealing, medicine, magic, and at most for construction, the demand for fossil fuel could not be filled only with naturally seeping oil from earth surface or bitumen from river banks. The first oil well was drilled in 1859 in Pennsylvania, thanks to Edwin L. Drake, and to date, the number of oil wells has only been increasing each year. Throughout the years, we have transitioned multiple times from steam engines to advanced technologies, marking a significant shift from coal and steam power to electricity and internal combustion engines. This evolution has driven industrialization and urbanization, fundamentally transforming society and our energy landscape. All these advancements added another cause for the exploration of more fossil fuels. Along with the increasing use of fossil fuel, the use of many elements, i.e., Lead, became ubiquitous in the manufacturing of various products. While the humans enjoyed their newfound haven, the earth had to bear its consequences.
The beginning of the 20th century is marked as an eye-opener for humans. With a nod to Newton's third law, we finally realized that we are having environmental problems. The deteriorating air and water quality with the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson stirred the minds of the public to think beyond. This was further amplified by Garrett Hardin’s The Tragedy of the Commons (1968), Paul Ehrlich’s The Population Bomb (1968), and Donella H. Meadows’ The Limits to Growth (1972). These works underscored the notion that our planet's resources are finite, and if we continue our current trajectory, we risk reaching our limits.
By the end of the 20th century, there was enough data and evidence about the spectrum of environmental problems we have i.e. climate change and global warming. Climate change refers to long-term alterations in the typical weather patterns that define the climates of Earth’s local, regional, and global environments. These shifts have a wide range of observed impacts, which are commonly associated with the term. To fight climate change, leaders from around the world have set together many times to shape policies, agendas, conventions, and agreements. We have attempted to mitigate climate change on global, continental, country, provincial, and individual levels. With solutions like increasing the use of renewable energy resources, enhancing energy efficiency, capturing carbon to store it safely, and making everything as sustainable as feasible we are still far away from mitigating it. Given the rapidly growing world population and their demands, we might find ourselves in a situation where even climate adaptation won't be sufficient.
So, in this fast-paced modern world where tech is so advanced, do we really have time for this slow healing process? What if, instead of mitigating climate change, we control it? Geoengineering is just what we need to control the climate of the world. Geoengineering aims to counteract climate change by directly modifying Earth's natural systems, unlike mitigation efforts that focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions or protecting carbon sinks and adaptation strategies that address the consequences of climate change. On a smaller scale, we have examples of geoengineering, like cloud seeding, ocean fertilization, and stratospheric aerosol injection. Geoengineering has long been considered a potential option, but few have dared to pursue it due to its largely unknown consequences, which are even more uncertain than those associated with time travel. Its risks and the potential for unintended global impacts make it a highly controversial and avoided approach to addressing climate change. However, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report 2022 stresses that the impacts of climate change on water, food security, public health, and infrastructure are worsening across all economic sectors as mitigation measures are proving insufficient to deal with climate change. Solar geoengineering, which in the past was considered taboo in the climate community, is now the talk of the town among influential people. Solar geoengineering is a technique aimed at reflecting a small portion of sunlight back into space to cool the Earth and reduce global warming. Solar geoengineering, also referred to as solar radiation management (SRM), encompasses methods of limiting global warming without reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
There are different methods proposed for SRM by scientists, which are discussed in the One Atmosphere report by UNEP. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is the most studied method, costing around 20 billion USD per year per 1 degree Celsius of cooling and involves releasing reflective particles at high altitudes using aircraft. Marine cloud brightening (MCB) enhances cloud reflectivity by adding sea salt aerosols to create brighter clouds. Cirrus cloud thinning (CCT) aims to reduce high clouds that trap heat. Space mirrors have also been proposed, but their development and cost are far more challenging compared to other methods. Two broad approaches to SRM deployment have been proposed. One is an emergency response, activated if global warming leads to severe crises like famines and mass migration, where SRM can reduce suffering within a few years. The other is a phased, long-term deployment integrated into climate policy aimed at reducing the amount or rate of warming or mitigating temperature peaks. However, neither approach lowers CO2 levels, meaning the problem of ocean acidification would persist. Key concerns about SRM include its impact on earth’s climate and environmental systems, such as air and water quality, and its uncertain effects on human health and ecosystems. There are also questions about the inclusivity, equity, and transparency of decision-making, potential diversion of resources from mitigation and adaptation efforts, societal risks like international conflicts, and ethical, legal, and justice implementation of its deployment.
If history has taught humanity anything, it's that disrupting the balance of nature has never led to positive outcomes. The deforestation led us to soil erosion, overhunting resulted in extinction of species and global warming invited climate change to our plant. Yet another intervention in the name of Solar radiation management is being considered. More and more research in the field is needed to be sure of its consequences.
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