On Friday, the White House issued a federally-mandated report concerning solar geoengineering - a term that encompasses strategies of bouncing light from the sun away from the planet in order to cool the atmosphere. The Biden-Harris Administration is not currently initiating a comprehensive research endeavor into solar radiation modification. The report, however, sets out the case of why such a research program might be advantageous along with what it should encompass. The primary topic in the report centered on judging solar geoengineering via a "risk vs. risk" comparison, which was intended to evaluate the hazards of taking action contrasted against the risks of doing nothing.
On Friday, the White House issued a federally required report concerning solar geoengineering, which is an all-encompassing term that describes strategies for bouncing sunlight away from the planet to cool the environment. A senior administration representative declared that the Biden-Harris administration currently has no initiatives to initiate an extensive exploration program into solar radiation modification. Nevertheless, the report also states that there are solid reasons for a unified research agenda regarding this issue. It reads, "These unknowns, and the ever-evolving understanding of complex Earth systems, provide a persuasive argument for research to better comprehend both the potential advantages and disadvantages." The report was created by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in order to accomplish the congressional directive included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which asked the White House to construct a "research governance structure to give guidance on openness, involvement, and risk management for publicly funded work in solar geoengineering research."
For decades, solar radiation modification was considered the stuff of science fiction, but due to the increasingly obvious and dangerous impacts of climate change, some believe it may be less risky than the global warming that would occur without such intervention.This type of climate intervention won't address other consequences of climate change, such as ocean acidification and air pollution, which are often labeled 'the silent killer.' A White House report explored two solar manipulation methods: stratospheric aerosol injection (releasing sulfur dioxide or another substance into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight away from the earth) and marine cloud brightening (improving the reflectivity of clouds by injecting sea salt or similar substance).Fragmented investigations into solar radiation modification are being conducted by federal agencies, and research into phenomena like volcanic action and cloud-aerosol interactions can offer useful groundwork. Evidence of solar manipulation can be seen in volcanic eruptions and wildfire smoke, as well as ship tracks created in that wake of maritime exhaust, suggesting the Earth's natural processes are representative of the potential of engineered stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening. However, solar radiation management research is limited and unorganized, and a comprehensive research plan is essential to enable the U.S to prepare for the potential deployment of solar radiation modification by third-party sources.
Solar radiation management is an attractive option since it can cool the planet rapidly over a few years, however, substantial unknown risks exist. These include possibilities for accelerated ozone depletion, changes in precipitation, sea-level rise, terrestrial vegetation, coral reefs, crop production, health risks from increased particulate matter and other ecosystem alterations. As such, the White House report recommends a "risk vs. risk" assessment to weigh the risks of deploying solar geoengineering against the risks of allowing global warming to continue. It is important to note that solar radiation modification is not a permanent solution and that greenhouse gas emissions reduction is the only true way to mitigate climate change. Similarly, the European Union released statements on Wednesday saying that solar geoengineering is not a climate solution and that the current level of understanding of the implications of such interventions is inadequate to deploy them. Nevertheless, the European Union will support collective research efforts on solar geoengineering.
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