UK Poised to Launch Experiments to Dim the Sun
Geoengineering Experiments set to be Approved in the Coming Weeks
In a recent announcement, the UK government is prepared to approve controversial experiments in an effort to curb the impacts of climate change. The objective of the trials would be to ascertain the feasibility of different methods to dim the sun (not to be mistaken with dim sum, the tasty assortment of Chinese dishes commonly served with tea).
The research will be funded by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), which has allocated £50 million (about $66 million) for the various projects. ARIA is recognized as an organization that pushes the limits of science and technology, funding research and development and enabling scientists and engineers to pursue ideas that may seem too speculative, too hard, or too interdisciplinary to pursue elsewhere – such as the geoengineering initiatives being considered by the UK government.
A Look at Geoengineering
Geoengineering, a term being bandied about more and more as temperatures continue to rise, is the intentional manipulation of the Earth’s environment to counteract the effects of climate change. The impending experiments will focus on three main methods of geoengineering:
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) – perhaps the most controversial, is the intentional release of tiny particles from aircraft to reflect the light of the sun back into space, thus increasing the Earth’s albedo.
Cirrus Cloud Thinning – aims to seed ice nuclei into the upper troposphere to thin out or eliminate cirrus clouds allowing heat to escape Earth’s atmosphere.
Marine Cloud Brightening – involves using water cannons (which, honestly, sound pretty cool) to spray sea salt particles into the atmosphere to form denser, brighter clouds to reflect the sun.
Though these methods sound fairly straightforward; they have been the subject of a great many debates and modeling studies, as uncertainties regarding the environmental ramifications of these actions have inhibited outdoor trials. SAI in particular could have potential impacts that reach far beyond the intended climate cooling it aims for, as the cooling effect may be accompanied by other significant consequences including the heating of the stratosphere, depletion of the ozone, and a reduction in average precipitation worldwide.
So far, the risks have outweighed the rewards, preventing any serious experimentation, but it seems the time has come to put these notions to the test.
To Experiment or Not to Experiment?
As climate change, and its subsequent effects on the environment, continues to amplify, scientists and political leaders are seeking out as many solutions as possible, leaving no stone unturned. The push for researching geoengineering is to address these effects before the situation passes the point of no return – a tipping point, if you will.
Professor Mark Symes, a lead researcher with the ARIA program, said in an interview with The Guardian, “The uncomfortable truth is that our current warming trajectory makes a number of such tipping points distinctly possible over the next century. This has driven increased interest in approaches that might actively cool the world in a short timeframe in order to avoid those tipping points.”
He went on to say that no toxic substances would be released and that the publication of environmental impact assessments, as well as the consultation of local communities would precede any outdoor experiments. These efforts at due diligence may appease some interested parties, but others will certainly have their qualms.
Scientist, Raymond Pierrehumbert has been vociferous in his claims against “climate hacking” (also known as albedo modification), arguing that “[t]he global cooling that could possibly be achieved comes at the cost of changes in rainfall patterns, winds, and regional temperature. With the current state of climate models, we have only very limited confidence in our ability to predict the outcomes, and even more limited ability to model the actual albedo change resulting from the complex chain of events due to an actual climate-intervention action.” Perhaps some stones should remain where they are.
While the debate rages on about the risks and benefits of geoengineering, the UK is poised to proceed with its intended experiments anyway.
Along with the aforementioned outdoor experiments, ARIA will also be funding indoor tests, new modeling studies, and climate monitoring, all while gauging public attitudes toward geoengineering. Further details on these projects and their timeline are set to be announced in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.