More Scientists Want To Study Dimming the Sun in a Desperate Move Cool the Planet

The notion of solar geoengineering or dimming the sun by shooting particles into the stratosphere to reduce the warming of the planet seems to be a long way and the last resort for tackling a growing problem of worsening climate change.

Many scientists are opposed to this idea, but The New Yorker reports that a growing number are also considering it given the lack of solutions to address the climate crisis.

Scientists Considering Solar Geoengineering

Last month, the White House announced a five-year research plan to study solar geoengineering. The move is a sign that the idea of dimming the sun has upgraded from being a science fiction notion to reality amidst a period of rising temperatures around the world and failed climate targets.

The legally binding international treaty on climate change of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by 196 countries, is sadly proving to be impossible. Under the agreement, countries agreed to try their best to limit global warming to up to 1.5 degree Celsius.

But the October report by UN Climate Change showed that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been insufficient to meet the goal by the end of 2100. Due to that, more and more scientists are turning to investigate solar geoengineering as a desperate move to tackle climate change.

Solar geoengineering follows the concept of a massive volcano eruption spewing aerosolized sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere that has been shown to drop temperatures, Futurism reports. But of course, this method has been met with criticisms that it might only kick off extreme weather rather than help.

Despite the opposition, some world leaders are considering the idea as they review the consequences brought by climate change and global warming.

Environmentalist Anote Tong, Kiribati's former president, said that geoengineering as a possible solution to the worsening natural calamities might become the only option of last resort if the world continues on the path they are going on now. Per The New Yorker's report, the small island nation has already begun greatly affected by the rising sea levels.

Criticisms on Solar Geoengineering

According to policy experts, as reported by Science Alert, planetary-scale engineering schemes to cool the Earth's surface and lessen the impact of global warming is harmful and should not be allowed.

Injecting billions of sulfur particles into the middle atmosphere could have consequences that outweigh any benefits. The letter pointed out that solar geoengineering deployment cannot be governed globally in a fair, inclusive, and effective manner so experts call for immediate political action from governments and other actors to prevent solar geoengineering as a climate policy option.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in its 2021 scientific assessment that stratospheric sulfate injection weakens the Asian and African monsoons and causes deaths in the Amazon. More so, they noted that the technology would do nothing to stop the continuous buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Instead, the open letter calls for an "international non-use agreement" that would block any national funding and ban outdoor experiments as well as refuse to grant patents for solar geoengineering technologies.

Check out more news and information on Solar Geoengineering in Science Times.