Effects of geoengineering must be urgently investigated, experts say
Source: The Guardian
Effects of geoengineering must be urgently investigated, experts say
Impact on ecosystems must be predicted before technology is used, US atmospheric science agency chief says
Fiona Harvey Environment editor
Thu 14 Mar 2024 14.30 GMT
Last modified on Thu 14 Mar 2024 14.33 GMT
Scientists must work urgently on predicting the effects of climate geoengineering, the chief of the US atmospheric science agency has said, as the technology is likely to be needed, at least in part.
Richard Spinrad, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said the government-backed body was estimating the effects of some of the likely techniques for geoengineering, including those involving the oceans.
My own belief is that we need to get a better understanding of what the impacts are, he said. I suspect some aspects of geoengineering are going to be an important component of the solution to reducing global warming, and all of the impacts of global climate change, like ocean acidification.
Potential geoengineering techniques include seeding the oceans with iron to absorb more carbon dioxide, or spraying water from the oceans into low-level clouds to reflect some of the suns radiation.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/mar/14/geoengineering-must-be-urgently-investigated-experts-say