Geoengineering. The sound of the word expresses an interesting and even innovative tone. But, let me be the devil's advocate here. I don't care hate me for it but we all deserve some truth here so here comes a different perspective.
Geoengineering is defined as: the deliberate large-scale manipulation of an environmental process that affects the earth's climate, in attempt to counteract the effects of global warming. These methods are NOT to reduce emissions. These methods keep the current output of carbon emissions but try to find a fix-it solution.
So what does this cool process of Geoengineering consist of? The two main topics are solar radiation management and CO2 removal.
Solar radiation management's main efforts consist of increasing the reflectivity here on earth. Ideas include; reflectors in space, stratospheric aerosols, increased cloud albedo, surface albedo of grasslands, deserts, cropland. So let's just think about this proposition. Reflectors all over the desert. Yeah that sounds great. This is a great example to show that geoengineering can do more harm than good. #1 we aren't even reducing emissions. #2 relating to the reflectors in the desert example- killing natural habitat, yes things are living in the dessert.
CO2 removal is the other main effort. This includes increasing land sink through: forestation, bio-char, bio-energy and storage. Also increasing ocean sink through: solubility pump increasing CO2 dissolved in ocean, increasing ocean alkalinity which increases pH of ocean thereby increasing CO2, biological pump, and air capture of CO2 and storage. To touch briefly on this idea, all these efforts would work in the short-run, but in the long run could be VERY dangerous.
A huge problem with geoengineering is predictability. We CAN'T accurately predict what these methods would do. What if we put reflectors in space and they were too much??? How do we get rid of them?? What if we change the pH of the ocean by too much?? What happens to aquatic life?
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