New research describes the unknowns in our knowledge of solar geoengineering.

DOUG JOHNSON – 4/11/2021, 6:30 AM

https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/unknowns-linger-for-idea-of-scattering-sunlight-to-cool-the-earth/

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Without condoning or condemning the poorly understood tactic, recent reports suggest we should try to understand one proposed strategy to cool the planet: altering the atmosphere to reflect sunlight. Called solar radiation modification (SRM), this strategy is a type of geoengineering that involves scattering particles into the sky that cause sunlight to reflect out into space rather than warming the Earth’s atmosphere.

In theory, SRM could cool off the planet and help limitglobal warmingto 1.5ºC compared to preindustrial levels. But it’s viewed as something of a last-resort tool to tackle climate change. Two new analyses explore what deploying this tactic…