The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will finance research on technologies aimed at artificially cooling the planet, an idea that was once considered radical but has quickly gained attention in light of the alarming rate at which global temperatures are rising. The group expects to begin awarding grants this fall, according to Lisa Dilling, EDF’s deputy chief scientist, who heads the project. She stated that the research will focus on calculating the likely effects in different parts of the world if governments were to use artificial cooling technologies.
Dilling emphasized that the goal is to provide information to policymakers. «We are not in favor of their use, ultimately. That is not our goal,» said Dilling. «Our purpose is to gather information and have solid and well-thought-out scientific facts.»
In the past, EDF expressed some skepticism about such techniques. However, Dilling asserts that the debate over the various options for cooling the planet will continue, regardless of opposition. The group will fund activities encompassed in a field sometimes called solar radiation management or solar geoengineering, which aims to reflect more of the sun’s energy back into space. Some possible techniques to do this are injecting aerosols into the stratosphere and brightening clouds to increase their reflective capacity.
Several researchers believe that such actions could help temporarily reduce global temperatures, as society significantly reduces the burning of fossil fuels and thereby cuts greenhouse gas emissions. However, the potential unintended consequences of these actions remain unknown.
The risk of generating accidental consequences is one reason for opposition. Another argument from opponents is that merely discussing solar geoengineering creates the dangerous impression that quick solutions exist for climate change. Critics argue that focusing on these artificial cooling techniques detracts from addressing the root of the problem.
The level of concern surrounding solar geoengineering research became evident to the public last week in Alameda, California, when a group of elected officials voted to cancel the first outdoor test in the country of a device that could eventually be used to artificially cool the planet.
A group of researchers built a machine designed to propel tiny aerosols of sea salt into the air and began testing on the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier in Alameda. They wanted to see how these aerosols behaved in different atmospheric conditions. The plan is to use future versions of this device to spray particles into clouds to reflect more sunlight back into space, thereby temporarily reducing global warming.
Alameda officials ordered the researchers to suspend the experiment due to potential environmental and health risks involved. The city planned to evaluate the safety of the experiment.
Ultimately, the municipal manager concluded that the experiment was not a risk and recommended that the city allow it. However, the city council permanently canceled the experiment on Wednesday, overturning the municipal staff’s decision.
Many environmental groups maintain their skepticism about geoengineering. They argue that with centuries of human activity releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, embarking on another massive experiment like solar geoengineering may not be the best option at this time.
Even EDF has highlighted the risks, stating that deliberate climate interventions such as albedo modification should not be undertaken at this time due to serious ecological, moral, and geopolitical concerns. Albedo modification refers to changes in the amount of sunlight reflected off the planet.
The fact that a prominent environmental group like EDF is investing in solar geoengineering research sends a strong message, according to Larry Birenbaum of the LAD Climate Fund, one of the groups funding the research. Birenbaum indicated that his group had been urging environmentalists to pay attention to solar geoengineering for years. He believes that the broader climate community needs to be convinced of the importance of this research to move away from radical ideas and explore potential solutions for addressing climate change.
