Solar Geoengineering
Our eternal doom, or the only salvation?
What is Solar Geoengineering?
Solar Geoengineering is a process in which particular particles are added to the astrosphere. These articles work as a shield and reflect parts of the sun’s rays, therefore making it a little cooler on the ground. The idea came from the enormous volcano eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. This was the second-largest volcanic eruption of the twentieth century.
Mount Pinatubo’s eruption sent millions of tons of ash and particles about 35 kilometers into the atmosphere. The significant consequence of this eruption was that the world’s temperature dropped by 2 degrees over the following three years. Although this natural catastrophe devastated thousands of local inhabitants of the island, it benefited scientists to do something similar in a controlled manner.
Methods of Solar Geoengineering
Stratospheric Aerosol Injections
The stratospheric aerosol injection is the primary method of solar geoengineering. Sulfur dioxide or calcium carbonate is injected into the atmosphere by airplanes flying well into the stratosphere in this method.
Marine Sky Brightening
However, this is not all. There are other methods of solar geoengineering to be considered. One of these methods is marine sky brightening. In this method, common sea salt is injected into clouds over the oceans. The sea salt makes clouds get brighter and reflect more of the sunlight into the atmosphere. Sea salt into the clouds also makes them more durable. Therefore, the clouds can stay in the air for a more extended period.
Cirrus Cloud Thinning
Another method of solar geoengineering is Cirrus Cloud Thinning. Cirrus clouds are the kind formed high into the atmosphere. These clouds operate similarly to greenhouse gases. This means the accumulation of cirrus clouds prevents the heat escape the atmosphere and makes the earth warmer than ever.
A certain amount of ice nuclei is injected into the cirrus clouds in the cirrus cloud thinning method. This makes the clouds last for a shorter period, and their density becomes less. The process of thinning the cirrus clouds is a delicate one in which the balance must be maintained carefully. If too many ice nuclei are used, it could have the opposite effect.
Solar Geoengineering Controversy
The uncertain nature of solar geoengineering is precisely why this technique has caused so much controversy among scientists and environmental activists. Everything mentioned so far about solar geoengineering is currently just theory and computer modeling. The lack of practical information about the effects and consequences of these methods has actually added to all the scientific and ethical controversy about it.
The Good
The main reason for attempting solar geoengineering is to control the temperature. Global warming has affected a vast number of people over the last century. According to the Paris Accord, the temperature rise should be limited to less than 2 degrees. More than 196 countries have participated in the venture and are trying to control global warming as much as they can.
Using one of the solar geoengineering methods, particularly stratospheric aerosol injection, can achieve this goal almost immediately. The particles placed carefully in the stratosphere work as a shield against the sun’s heat, therefore making it at least two degrees cooler.
This method can help the earth recover slightly from the extreme heat it has to experience in years to come. A reduced temperature means less evaporation of surface water and fewer droughts around the world. It can save animals from dying of thirst and crops from drying up as well. What’s more, this method can prevent thousands of people from dying of heat strokes every year.
As can be seen, solar geoengineering has many merits that make it quite desirable for the advocates of this rather extreme measure to control global warming. On the other hand, Stratospheric aerosol injection has to be done globally, not just over one region or one country. Reaching an agreement about doing it has been one of the major hindrances of the project so far. Of course, there are several valid arguments against this method that is worth mentioning as well.
The Bad
One of the major arguments against solar geoengineering is the uncertainty we have to put up with while carrying out the project. Experiments can be done over small sky areas, but there is no way to gauge its global consequences until it is done. Some scientists believe that solar geoengineering could potentially change the weather patterns in several countries forever. According to the models, for instance, after solar geoengineering has been done, the seasonal rains in India would be harder, and China would be drier. These changes and their extent are entirely unpredictable.
Another reason solar geoengineering is frowned upon is that it does not prevent carbon from polluting the atmosphere. It also does not stop ocean acidification. Therefore, it can be said that solar geoengineering, despite reducing the temperature by a couple of degrees and making life easier for millions of people, does not hinder the rampaging disasters greenhouse gasses cause on earth.
The Ugly
Many scientists oppose the idea of solar geoengineering because it looks like a permanent solution. Many people fear that the owner of big oil companies responsible for most of the carbon dioxide pollution would stop trying to go carbon-free.
Another concern is that the extreme weather changes that might happen due to solar geoengineering might cause wars among nations. The fight over water is already an imminent possibility and a constant fear among environmentalists. The weather getting drier for some countries might get us even closer to the looming shadow of another world war.
Solar Geoengineering’s Recent Experiments
A group of scientists from Harvard University and Bill Gates, known for his carbon removal ventures, are planning to do a stratospheric aerosol injection experiment over a small area of the atmosphere. In this experiment, a regular balloon usually used for experiments in the atmosphere will be sent up. This balloon contains about a kilo of sulfur dioxide, and the intention is to release it into the atmosphere. Then, the effect of these particles will be measured in terms of solar permeation and temperature.
Doing this experiment will help scientists have a clearer view of the results of solar geoengineering on a larger scale. On the other hand, the opposing side believes that this is the gateway to a tool with untold possibilities, and it must NOT be tampered with.
The Bottom Line
Embarking on a new era of science and technology is always stressful. Also, the uncertainty of what the world would look like after using solar geoengineering adds to this stress. However, fear of taking a step must not stop us from moving forward. The world cannot do enough to eliminate the destructive effects of carbon dioxide pollution anytime soon, and something should be done.
This, however, does not mean that solar geoengineering is either our eternal salvation or doom. This is simply a single step, among many, to alleviate the pressure from the earth and its inhabitants. More permanent solutions must be sought to solve the pollution problem once and for all. But there is no harm in a bit of cooler weather for the time being, or is there?
