U.S. and EU Explore Solar Geoengineering to Fight Warming
Moscow24 September Vests. More and more politicians in the USA, the European Union, and other countries are discussing technologies of solar geoengineering that will allow reflecting part of the star's light and countering global warming.
Consensus
- Political and governmental figures in the U.S. and European Union are discussing solar geoengineering technologies as a potential tool to combat global warming.
- Interest in solar geoengineering is emerging within ministries of agriculture, trade, foreign affairs, and defense in the U.S. and EU.
- The discussion around solar geoengineering is shifting from being considered taboo to being treated as a possible option, especially due to increasing climate extremes.
- Technologies such as injecting sulfuric acid particles into the upper atmosphere to reflect sunlight are being considered.
- These technologies do not address the root causes of global warming, such as fossil fuel combustion.
- There are concerns about unintended consequences, including changes in precipitation patterns and regional droughts.
- The discussion is largely taking place behind closed doors.
- Recent extreme weather events, including record heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts in Europe, have intensified the urgency of the debate.
Points of divergence
- Bill Gates has expressed two concerns about solar geoengineering: it may undermine efforts to phase out fossil fuels and it could have significant, poorly understood impacts on global populations, particularly regarding rainfall and drought. — vesti
- Investors in Silicon Valley are betting that governments will soon pay for access to solar dimming technologies due to extreme heat. — kommersant
- The 2023 European heatwave caused record-breaking temperatures, wildfires, river drying, and a record crop failure, with estimated losses of €800 billion. — kommersant
Coverage (2 sources)
- On the West again propose to close off from the Sun to fight warming — Вести
- Politico: In the US and EU, discussions on technologies to limit sunlight have begun — Коммерсантъ