Geoengineering may be the best, flawed solution to global warming

A look into a quick way to solve one of our planet’s most urgent issues

By Aaron Zhao

At this point in time, most people recognize that global warming is a threat to the safety of the entire world. For centuries, the Earth had been warming as more nations industrialized and more carbon emissions pumped into the atmosphere. The amount of carbon emissions rose by approximately 90% since 1970, rendering the Earth’s average surface temperature about 1.18 degrees Celsius (2.21 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the 19th century. And, rising surface temperature isn’t the only threat of global warming. From declining sea ice that was once part of many animals’ natural habitats to warming oceans resulting in coral bleaching, global warming is far more than just “warming”.

But, though this may sound apocalyptic, global warming isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Here’s an excerpt from NASA’s response to the question, “Is it too late to prevent climate change?”:

Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, global warming would continue to happen for at least several more decades, if not centuries. That’s because it takes a while for the planet (for example, the oceans) to respond, and because carbon dioxide – the predominant heat-trapping gas – lingers in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. There is a time lag between what we do and when we feel it.

That’s when geoengineering enters the picture.

Broadly speaking, geoengineering is the human manipulation of the climate, most often with the help of technology. These “climate interventions” are usually conducted on a large scale, and aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, temporarily. However, playing with something like the Earth’s climate comes with major risks.

1. Make the planet super shiny.

Albedo is another term for reflectivity, and the albedo effect measure how reflective the surface of the planet is. The lesser the albedo is, the more energy the Earth absorbs, thus leading to increased surface temperature. In order to reverse global warming, we would have to increase the overall albedo of the planet; such projects may involve painting rooftops of neighbourhoods or streets a lighter color to absorb less sunlight. However, the cost could easily exceed the billions, with so much urban surface to cover.

2. Dump iron into the ocean.

Phytoplankton are microscopic algae that are capable of sucking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into food. In the presence of iron, iron nutrients stimulate phytoplankton growth, leading to more carbon dioxide sucked up. Hence the name, “iron fertilization“. However, accidents could lead to toxic algae blooms potentially disrupting natural, marine ecosystems and foodwebs.

3. Create a regulated nuclear winter.

First of all, a nuclear winter is when nuclear firestorms following a nuclear explosion(s) leads to black soot being shot up into the stratosphere, blocking light from the sun. Essentially, this creates an umbrella that blocks solar energy from reaching the surface of the planet, hence planetary cooling. Clearly, resorting to nuclear bombs and firestorms doesn’t particularly strike as the safest method of geoengineering. Instead, what scientists plan to do is to spray dust into the atmosphere, in order to simulate the conclusion of a nuclear winter, safely.

However, the dust does not remain in the atmosphere forever, and requires constant backup and regulation that could be drive costs upwards. Additionally, if the dust is asymmetrically distributed around the planet, it could lead to an unbalanced planetary cooling in different regions of the oceans, disrupting ecosystems and migratory animals.

So, should we consider geoengineering?

The problem is that geoengineering has high rewards and high risks. There’s simply no in between. While lower temperatures can benefit human lives, it may come at the expense of animals who cannot adapt to suddenly colder temperatures quickly enough to survive. For now, geoengineering requires more scrutiny, development, and refinement. It is still indeed a young idea that requires time and effort to mature. It certainly isn’t an idea to completely reject.