Great Britain is investing 67 million euros in geoengineering against climate change!

Great Britain is investing 67 million euros in geoengineering against climate change!

Großbritannien - Great Britain has announced today that it will provide 67 million euros (£ 57 million) for geoengineering projects in order to counteract global warming. The aim is to reduce the sun's radiation by introducing aerosols and particles into the atmosphere and thus reduce the global average temperature. The British Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) will lead the initiative to call for physical tests to assess the effectiveness of the proposed strategies. Frank Keutsch, a Geo-Engineering researcher by Harvard, emphasizes that this is the first time that a government is calling for the submission of experimental proposals.

As part of this initiative, geoengineering experiments are carried out outdoors. Among other things, the injection of sulfur dioxide is planned into the stratosphere and the use of sea salt aerosols in clouds. However, there are also concerns in the scientific community: hundreds of experts are calling for an international agreement to non-application solar geoengineering, since unexplored risks and possible negative effects on climate policy and ecosystems exist.

New research on aerosolinjection

A new study by researchers at the University College London (UCL) has researched an alternative technology to cool the planet. This relies on stratospheric aerosolinjection, for which existing large aircraft such as the Boeing 777f can be used. In contrast to previous assumptions that need special aircraft for injections at altitudes over 20 kilometers. The study, published in the magazine "Earth’s Future", shows that adding particles at a height of 13 kilometers over polar regions could significantly cool the planet, but less effective than with higher injections.

The simulations of the UCL researchers indicate that 12 million tons of sulfur dioxide at a height of 13 kilometers could reduce the global temperature by around 0.6 ° C-comparable to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. However, it is noted that due to the lower height, in which a third of efficiency is achieved compared to 20 kilometers Would be, which in turn could increase side effects like acid rain. In addition, it must be emphasized that aerosolinjection is no faster and the reduction of emissions still remains essential.

risks and political classification of geoengineering

geoengineering includes large -scale changes in the climate system to reduce anthropogenic global warming and is divided into two main categories: Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) and Carbon Dioxides Removal (CDR). While the SRM aims to reduce the sun's rays arriving on earth in order to lower the global average temperature, it is important to note that this only addresses the symptoms of global warming and not their causes.

The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has taken the position that SRM should not be regarded as an emergency option. These methods cannot restore the original climate and hide unpredictable risks, among other things for nutritional safety and water availability. Likewise, the scientists indicate the need to regulate geoengineering at European and international level in order to ensure the world's applicable standards.

Despite a growing interest in geoengineering, it is obvious that all approaches must be seriously examined for their risks and advantages before they can be implemented in practice. This is not only a challenge for the scientific community, but also for decision -makers who have to deal with the complex topic of global warming.

For further information on geoengineering you can report the reports from , Ucl and consult.