What is Geo Engineering?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_sequestration
The deliberate and large-scale interference in the Earth's climate system is known as climate engineering or geoengineering. Solar geo engineering and carbon dioxide removal are the two most common types of climate engineering. Here, to restrict or reverse climate change, solar geo engineering, or solar radiation modification, would reflect some sunlight (solar radiation) back to space while carbon dioxide removal refers to the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it for a long time.
Types of Geo Engineering
Geo engineering refers to various sets of technologies that can manipulate the environment and partially offset some impacts of climate change. There are various types of Geo Engineering. Some of them are listed below:
- Solar Radiation Management
- Carbon Dioxide Removal
- Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI)
- Cirrus cloud thinning (CCT)
- Ground-based albedo modification (GBAM)
To know more about them, visit:
https://www.dezeen.com/2018/10/18/five-geoengineering-solutions-climate-change-un-ipcc-technology/
Solar Radiation Management
Solar geoengineering aims to decrease the temperature of the globe by reflecting a small fraction of sunlight back into space. In simpler words, it focuses on increasing the quantity of solar radiation that escapes into space. Solar geoengineering, unlike carbon geoengineering, does not address the underlying causes of climate change. Instead, it tries to weaken the link between concentrations and temperatures, decreasing some climate impacts.
For more information on solar geo engineering, visit:
https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-six-ideas-to-limit-global-warming-with-solar-geoengineering
Carbon Dioxide Removal
Carbon geoengineering aims to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It addresses the core cause of climate change, carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere. It disrupts the link between emissions and concentrations in the chain from emissions to concentrations to temperatures to impacts. However, this is the controversial method of geoengineering as the impact of carbon removal technologies on sustainable development is not well understood.
To know more about carbon dioxide removal, visit:
Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI)
SAI aims to reduce the incidence and absorption of the sun's rays by reflecting back a small portion of solar radiation. Some techniques proposed include introducing reflective matter into the atmosphere. Similarly, it also includes inserting a space mirror in between the earth and the sun, and making the Earth more reflective among others.
For more information SAI, visit:
https://www.geoengineeringmonitor.org/2021/02/stratospheric_aerosol_injection/
Cirrus cloud thinning (CCT)
CCT aims to eliminate or thin cirrus clouds to allow heat to escape into space. As high-altitude cirrus clouds don't reflect much solar radiation back into space, this method focus on thinning these clouds so that they can let wave radiation escape. However, there is a doubt that this method may produce the opposite effect i.e. more and thicker clouds may be produced.
To know more about CCT, visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirrus_cloud_thinning
Ground-based albedo modification (GBAM)
Albedo Modification is one of the climate engineering approach that increases the Earth’s albedo and ability to reflect sunlight back into space that will help to reverse global warming. Small architectural changes, such as whitening roofs and land-use management, could help change the earth's albedo from the ground up. Similarly, it might also be implemented on a much larger scale.
For more information, visit: