When discussing solutions to fighting global warming and climate change, words such as recycling, renewable energy, and electric vehicles are more often than not mentioned. However, solar geoengineering is a plausible solution most have never heard of.
Solar geoengineering reduces the global temperature by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth and back into space. Many scientists have already proposed different methods to execute this, with one of the most popular methods consisting of spraying reflective aerosols into the atmosphere where sunlight would be reflected away from the Earth. These aerosols would be composed of tiny reflective particles such as sulfate or calcium carbonate which would scatter sunlight back into space. These reflective aerosols are naturally released from volcanoes, desert dust, and the burning of fossil fuels. However, when these aerosols are released at a ground level, they can cause dangerous levels of air pollution. Scientists are experimenting with releasing these aerosols in a manner that does not result in air pollution. Some methods being researched include using airplanes or hot air balloons to ensure that aerosols can effectively increase sunlight reflectance without causing dangerous air pollution levels.
Another type of solar geoengineering being researched is marine cloud brightening. This method revolves around the basic principle that darker objects absorb light while brighter objects reflect it. By brightening clouds that lay above the ocean, these clouds can reflect more light away before it can be absorbed by the darker ocean below it. However, this method of solar engineering is less researched and poses a greater risk than aerosol based solar engineering. Since clouds form in the lowest level of the stratosphere, there is a higher likelihood of Earth’s weather patterns being affected.
Solar geoengineering can have major benefits if utilized to combat climate change. Solar geoengineering is relatively fast-paced and can reduce the surface temperature level more efficiently than reducing carbon emissions.. It’s also very effective at protecting crops against the worst effects of climate change. Nevertheless, solar geoengineering can have impacts on rainfall due to other ecological factors such as humidity, there would be little effect on crops.
Despite the potential benefits of solar geoengineering, there are still many drawbacks and risks to applying solar geoengineering. Firstly, solar geoengineering does not address ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is a process in which the ocean absorbs a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, impacting the chemistry of the ocean and harming marine ecosystems. Since solar geoengineering focuses on reflecting sunlight and not reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it would not address the important issue of ocean acidification. Solar geoengineering can also damage the ozone layer which would have catastrophic impacts. There is also the issue of implementation. The aerosols released only last one year, meaning that solar geoengineering would have to be continuously maintained, leading to issues regarding cost. Thus, the primary issue is that the usage of solar geoengineering can open up infinite consequences that are simply unpredictable.
Solar geoengineering poses a potential short term solution to the rising temperature of the Earth. However, this method does not substitute the dire need for the reduction of carbon emissions. It is essential to ensure that policymakers are making decisions that address the deep rooted problem: carbon emissions.
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