Climate change has been the buzzword for the better part of a decade. But global efforts have fallen insufficient and multiple conferences and meetings have done nothing to speed up the Paris Agreement. As carbon emissions rise, the United Nations revealed that it is considering solar radiation modification to hold the apocalypse at bay.
In a report released on February 27, the UN clarifies that worldwide efforts are not “not on track to meet the 1.5° Celsius Paris Agreement goal.” Hence, researchers are exploring solar radiation modification (SRM) as a way to cool the Earth before climate change reaches irreversible levels.
The report notes that SRM is not yet ready for large-scale deployment but it is being explored as an emergency temporary measure.
So, what is this technology that allows us to reflect the sun away from the Earth? If it is that simple, why are we delaying its deployment?
In this article, let us take a look at how climate change has changed the future of the planet and what are the costs of manipulating the sun.
Desperate Times Call for Solar Radiation Modification
The report reveals that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have fallen short by a large scale. The time to take things slow is past and scientists are preparing to put emergency measures in places to protect the planet we call home.
“Climate change is taking the world into uncharted lands, and the search is on for all viable solutions,” said Andrea Hinwood, UNEP Chief Scientist.
According to an Expert Panel convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), SRM requires extensive research on its risks and benefits. Solar radiation modification works on cooling the Earth by reflecting a small percentage of sunlight back into space.
As the impact of SRM on low- and middle-income countries remains understudied, scientists are skeptical about its safety and would like to take precautionary measures before using the technology.
The expert panel considers that large-scale SRM deployment without sufficient research would be unwise.
“There’s been a great deal of headway in SRM research and important advances in modeling, but we need far more empirical evidence on the risks and potential consequences before exposing our only atmosphere to SRM technologies,” said Hinwood. “There are no shortcuts or substitutes for slashing harmful emissions and there is no better alternative for our peace, health and well-being than a shift to a circular economy, in harmony with nature.”
Climate Change and Changing Times
The world has slowly moved towards renewable energy in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of global warming.
As one of the major contributors of carbon emissions are fossil fuels, world governments have started offering subsidies and tax credits to automakers to accelerate the move towards EVs. But current efforts are falling short, as oil companies and associated lobbies work to discredit the findings of scientists and researchers.
It has also been found that many international banks continue to fund fossil fuel-based industries, slowing the progress we have made so far.
As climate change devastates communities and ecosystems around the world, researchers are turning to natural resources to stop its advance. Scientists expect global average temperatures to potentially set records in 2023 or 2024. This year, Earth had its warmest January on record.
Solar engineering, albeit in its infancy, cannot be a permanent solution to tackle the horrors of a dying planet. Furthermore, commercialization of sunlight reflection technologies to offset carbon emissions can cause more harm than help.
World over scientists have highlighted the fact that we cannot further risk damaging Earth more than we already have. Only after thoroughly understanding the effects of SRM can it be deployed for use.
