Climate change is causing our planet to heat up at an alarming rate. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that scientists are constantly looking for new ways of tackling this problem. The British government is now funding a £50 million ($66.4M USD) scheme to address global warming. The project is set to be launched in the next few weeks and is believed to comprise the exploration of various geoengineering techniques. These techniques included using sprays of seawater to brighten clouds and launching reflective particles into the atmosphere. They are also keen to explore the possibility of thinning out natural cirrus clouds, which tend to trap heat. This means that less heat reaches the ground, temporarily cooling the surface.
The Geoengineering Project
While it is regarded as a relatively cheap way to cool down Earth, many of the project’s critics have issued warnings. Some say that it could lead to catastrophic weather pattern disruptions, while others say that it could potentially shift rain away from areas used for the production of food. Many scientists say that the use of geoengineering methods only deals with the effects of climate change and not the cause. We should be focusing on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and not just simply trying to patch up the symptoms. In addition to the £50 million set aside by the British government, the project will receive £800 million of funding from taxpayers’ money over the following four years.
According to the program’s director, Professor Mark Symes, while decarbonization is very significant, the current rate of climate change puts us at serious risk of triggering numerous temperature-induced tipping points. These tipping points include the loss of the Amazon rainforest, the melting of Arctic winter sea ice. Symes went on to say that, “This programme will explore critical unanswered questions as to how we might cool the Earth safely and responsibly on the timescales required to avoid climate catastrophe.”
While the ultimate goal may be to reduce greenhouse gases and move away from fossil fuels, this may not occur in time to stop us reaching these tipping points. However, by implementing these geoengineering techniques, they hope to buy us the needed time to decarbonize our planet. The Professor tried to reassure the worried public by stating that there would be no use of any toxic substances in the project. He also said that no outdoor experiments would be conducted until an environmental impact assessment had been published. Furthermore, any communities in the area would first be consulted.
Geoengineering Is A Controversial Subject
Even though there is a scientific consensus on the climate change issue, many people are still highly sceptical about the subject. It’s not surprising that it has also proven to be very politically divisive. Many of the advancements made in environmental regulations are currently being rolled back by the current American administration. While these rollbacks might help companies out, in the long run, they strip the environment of any protection. Yet, some feel that geoengineering is not the way to deal with this issue.
As Professor of Human Geography at the University of Cambridge, Mike Hulme, said: “It holds out a false promise that climate change risks can be defused in this way; the naivety of it is breathtaking.” Yet, as a spokesperson from the program reiterated, “These approaches are not a substitute for decarbonization, which is the only long-term and sustainable way to reduce the risk of encountering climate tipping points”. She further stated that the timelines for the projects would be announced in the next few weeks.
Read More: Iceberg-making submarine aims to help tackle global warming by ‘re-freezing’ the Arctic
