Geoengineering, also known as climate engineering or climate intervention, refers to the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earths natural systems to counteract climate change. There are two main categories of geoengineering techniques:
-
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR): This technique seeks to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which would address the root cause of climate change. Examples of CDR techniques include afforestation, ocean fertilization, and direct air capture.
-
Solar Radiation Management (SRM): This technique aims to reflect a small proportion of the Sun’s energy back into space to cool the planet. Examples of SRM techniques include orbiting mirrors, spraying tonnes of sulphates into the stratosphere, and modifying clouds, plants, and ice to make them more reflective.
Geoengineering is a controversial topic, and there are concerns about the potential unintended consequences of large-scale interventions in natural systems. While some experts believe that geoengineering could be a viable approach to combating climate change, others warn that more experimental SRM technologies should only be considered as last resort measures. Currently, there is a de facto moratorium on most geoengineering experiments as per the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
