Researchers rack their brains over how to stop global warming. “Solar geoengineering” is a method under discussion – with dangerous risks.
Stuttgart – The earth is warming up rapidly. This is mainly because humans release too much climate-impacting carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. Many areas of life are responsible for this – whether traffic, industry, food or fashion. Researchers around the world are working on how emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 can be reduced to such an extent that global warming remains at a tolerable level. There are also projects on this in Baden-Württemberg*.
Not all research approaches aim exclusively at reducing greenhouse gases such as CO2. There are also considerations to artificially reduce global solar radiation – because ultimately it is solar radiation that causes warming because greenhouse gases reflect the radiation. In the specialist journal “Wires Climate Change”, however , numerous experts have now issued an impressive warning against such “solar geoengineering”.
Experiments to reduce solar radiation: Experts advise against all methods
The letter in the journal was signed by more than 60 experts in the field, including Environment Agency President Dirk Messner and climate change expert Frank Biermann from Utrecht University. Together they call on national governments and the UN to prevent “normalization” of “solar geoengineering”.
The experts are particularly concerned that such experiments “may not be regulated in a fair, inclusive and effective manner”. In fact, there is no one way to artificially reduce solar radiation. But the researchers don’t think any of them are really safe. One method of “solar geoengineering” is, for example, to introduce sulfur into the atmosphere. The particles would reflect the sun’s rays back into space, reducing global warming.
This could actually work, but could have fatal regional consequences, according to the researchers. Monsoon disruption in South Asia and West Africa could result in drought. At the same time, an end to “solar geoengineering” could also cause global warming to increase rapidly again. There are already experiments aimed at influencing the atmosphere. A Ludwigsburg company wants to shoot the sky with lasers to prevent lightning (BW24 * reported). Another method takes place in the arid desert regions of the world: Dubai uses chemicals to make clouds rain down*.
“Solar Geoengineering”: Not only critics want clarity about the implementation of controversial experiments
While the experts in “Wires Climate Change” warn against reducing solar radiation, there are also advocates of “solar geoengineering”. However, everyone agrees that this should be discussed and decided on a large scale. The main question that drives researchers who advocate for such experiments is “What options do we have if reducing emissions proves to be insufficient?”.
The opponents of “solar geoengineering” fear exactly that as a side effect of the experiments: that the emission of greenhouse gases will simply continue. An artificial reduction in solar radiation would remove all incentives to address, for example, the sustainability of the economy. The final demand in the experts’ letter is therefore radical: an international agreement that stipulates the complete renunciation of “solar geoengineering”. *BW24 is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
