11/11/2024
As the effects of climate change progressively worsen the quality of life on Earth, a call to action is more critical than ever. Although the Earth’s climate has always fluctuated between warming and cooling periods, the current trend in global temperature increase is occurring more rapidly than anticipated. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the world has experienced an 1ºC increase in temperatures primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, which trap significant quantities of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, trap excessive amounts of heat from the sun, resulting in extreme weather patterns. Although a 1ºC increase in temperature may seem minimal, the climate does not have a linear response to changes in temperature. Therefore, the result triggers disproportionate events, such as an increase in extreme weather events and ecosystem disruption. According to NASA, “the effects of human activities on Earth’s climate to date are irreversible…”
Geoengineering is a field of study that aims to deliberately manipulate the Earth’s climate system to counteract the effects of climate change. It is intended to complement traditional climate control initiatives, such as mitigating the use of nonrenewable energy sources and practicing sustainability.
This discipline is composed of two broad categories: carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM). CDR aims to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, by using direct air capture (DAC). Machines extract atmospheric air and chemically bind carbon dioxide molecules. The collected carbon dioxide is then injected deep underground into geological formations, where it may remain untouched for thousands of years.
SRM aims to reflect a small portion of the sun’s light and heat back into space in an attempt to cool the Earth. In theory, the process should successfully lower global temperatures and, as a result, offset some of the warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. One of SRM’s techniques is marine cloud brightening, which increases the reflectivity of clouds. The process involves spraying a fine mist into the atmosphere, encouraging the formation of smaller cloud droplets. The increased number of droplets in clouds allows them to become brighter and more reflective against solar radiation, cooling the region below it.
Although both approaches seem promising in the efforts to combat the climate crisis, both scientific and moral issues are critical considerations that cannot be overlooked. Firstly, it is uncertain how deliberate manipulation of the Earth’s natural processes through geoengineering could affect weather patterns and environmental conditions. There is also skepticism in regard to the effect of these processes on people living within those regions. Since the technologies of geoengineering processes are not fully developed, their immediate application could result in greater risk than reward.
In spite of any doubts, geoengineering has piqued interest among numerous countries across the world. As a result, the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the world’s largest association of Earth and space scientists, unveiled a new ethical framework based on five principles that focus on climate justice revolving around geoengineering practices. AGU President Lisa Graumlich stated that the objective of this framework is to define “what best practices would look like.” However, the framework is subject to change as more research and small-scale testing are conducted on the topic.
The framework was developed over two years in collaboration with an advisory board consisting of 40 professionals in fields ranging from ethics to economics. It promotes responsibility, inclusivity, transparency, accountability, equity, and other values to guide scientists in conducting ethically sound climate intervention research. Even though the framework is not a legally binding document, large corporations and governmental bodies must take the initiative to follow the new geoengineering ethical framework. Until they do, everyone can contribute to the battle against climate change by practicing sustainability. Conserving resources, reducing waste, and shifting to renewable energy sources are simple ways to practice sustainability. Despite the eagerness to propel research on geoengineering practices, such as CDR and SMR, Graumlich emphasizes that at the end of the day, “there is no substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”