Why is it in the news?

• India experienced an exceptionally dry August, emphasizing the ongoing threat of disrupted weather patterns and the importance of climate mitigation.
• Solar radiation management (SRM), a desperate idea to cool the Earth’s surface by blocking incoming solar radiation, poses significant dangers due to its interference with natural mechanisms and potential global consequences.

More about the news

• SRM experiments by one country can affect weather systems worldwide, leading to unintended and damaging outcomes.
• Currently, there is no mechanism for holding a geoengineering government accountable for cross-border consequences or providing affected countries with avenues for restitution.
• The Climate Overshoot Commission’s report calls for more research to address scientific and governance gaps related to SRM before considering its implementation.
  • While acknowledging the urgency of addressing climate change, the report argues against prioritizing SRM over more effective mitigation strategies, such as emissions reduction
• The commission’s stance on SRM is criticized for potentially diverting resources and focus away from emissions reduction efforts.
  • The report is also questioned for claiming to act in the interests of developing countries while corporate and political interests often prioritize economic growth over climate justice.

Geoengineering

• Geoengineering encompasses human interventions that alter the Earth’s climate system.
• Two primary approaches fall under geoengineering: carbon-dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM).
• CDR focuses on addressing the root cause of global warming by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, often involving techniques like carbon capture and storage.
  • CDR aims to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations, addressing the fundamental cause of global warming.
• SRM, on the other hand, does not directly impact greenhouse gases but mitigates their effects by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth’s surface.
  • SRM, in contrast, provides a means to mask or offset the impact of greenhouse gases without reducing their levels.