It's time to seriously consider a horrific plan to force-cool the Earth by deliberately spraying 'pollution' into the sky, say climate scientists



The 1991

eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines released 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, lowering the average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere by about 0.5 degrees. Inspired by this phenomenon, David Keith of the University of Chicago decided to devote his life to studying climate change, and the debate surrounding his proposed geoengineering (climate engineering) is summarized by The New York Times.

David Keith Has an Idea to Slow Global Warming: Geoengineering - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/climate/david-keith-solar-geoengineering.html



As records of record-high temperatures are being broken almost every year and extreme weather and disasters caused by climate change become increasingly severe, interest in geoengineering, the artificial manipulation of the Earth's environment, is growing.

These discussions include a variety of methods, such as carbon capture, improving the solar reflectance of clouds, and increasing the carbon absorption capacity of oceans and plants, but the most controversial of these is a technique called solar geoengineering, or

solar radiation management (SRM), which involves spraying sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere.

For example, in May 2024, research results were reported stating that stricter emissions regulations in the shipping industry have led to a 'reduction in air pollutants' and an 'increase in ocean temperatures.'

Ironically, the reduction in ocean air pollution may have 'accelerated global warming' - GIGAZINE



Keith and other proponents of solar geoengineering argue that by taking advantage of the phenomenon of air pollution blocking sunlight, it is possible to cool the Earth and offset the effects of climate change.

According to Keith, if this technology can slow the pace of global warming by just one degree over the next 100 years, it could prevent millions of people from dying from heatstroke every decade. Keith also believes that the effects of reduced sunlight and the increase in eye and respiratory diseases due to air pollution are minor compared to the increased health damage caused by climate change.

On the other hand, skeptical experts strongly oppose solar geoengineering, citing the unpredictable impacts of disrupting weather patterns, the health risks of air pollution, and the dangers of solar geoengineering, which cannot be stopped or reversed once started.



One of the biggest concerns is the moral hazard that solar geoengineering could mean that we no longer need to reduce our fossil fuel use.

'Solar geoengineering is like a drug,' said Frank Koytsch, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Harvard University and a former collaborator of Keith's. 'Drugs treat the symptoms, they don't treat the cause of the disease, and they carry the risk of side effects, addiction, and withdrawal.'

According to Raymond Pierrehumbert, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Oxford, starting solar geoengineering and then stopping it could result in a sudden increase in temperature that could be called an 'apocalyptic shock' -- a backlash from solar geoengineering that Kojci describes as a withdrawal symptom.

Keith counters that these objections are greatly exaggerated: 'Yes, there are risks, and yes, there are uncertainties, but there's a lot of evidence that the quantitative risks are small compared to the benefits, and the uncertainties are not that large,' he told The New York Times.

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