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“WHILE REDUCING EMISSIONS IS CRUCIAL, NO LEVEL OF REDUCTION UNDERTAKEN NOW CAN REVERSE THE WARMING EFFECT OF PAST AND PRESENT GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.”
Humanity is so desperate for solutions to combat climate change that even methods once touted as speculative science fiction are now being entertained as a plausible way forward.
Solar geoengineering, or solar radiation modification (SRM) — the process of cooling the planet by reflecting sunlight, likely by injecting aerosols into the atmosphere — is one such proposal.
And now, a group of over 60 scientists have penned an independent open letter calling for further extensive research into solar geoengineering, CNBC reports.
The scientists are not, however, advocating solar geoengineering as the end-all solution, or even a solution. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is still a must, they caution, no matter what — but they stress the need to properly understand all the benefits and drawbacks of sunlight blocking before it can be completely discounted.
“Given the severity of climate change,” the letter begins, “scientists and scientific bodies have recommended research on potential approaches to [SRM]… to slow climate warming and reduce climate impacts.”