The UK government has announced funding for outdoor geoengineering experiments aimed at combating climate change, allocating approximately £56.8 million (€67 million) for the initiative. This involves Solar Radiation Management (SRM), which reflects sunlight to cool the Earth, and could potentially buy time to address climate issues. However, online misinformation suggests the UK is secretly conducting geoengineering without public consent, linking it to conspiracy theories such as “Chemtrails.”
Experts like Jim Franke from the University of Chicago and Wolfgang Cramer from CNRS clarify that while discussions around geoengineering are valid, claims of malicious intent are unfounded. They emphasize that, while SRM could theoretically lower global temperatures, its practical implementation poses governance challenges and could generate unequal benefits across regions.
Concerns include slower hydrological cycles affecting rainfall and possible risks to plant life due to reduced sunlight. Despite these uncertainties, modeling indicates that controlled SRM could mitigate major climate risks. However, experts agree that significant international collaboration and extensive research are necessary for any geoengineering effort to be pursued responsibly and ethically.
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