Polar Geoengineering: Promise and Peril
As climate change accelerates, scientists are exploring geoengineering—deliberate interventions in Earth’s systems—to slow or reverse its effects. Polar regions, especially the Arctic and Antarctic, are warming at alarming rates, prompting proposals for targeted geoengineering. However, a recent study led by the University of Exeter warns that such interventions may cause severe and unintended consequences.
Polar Geoengineering
Polar geoengineering refers to climate interventions specifically designed to protect polar ice and ecosystems. Proposed techniques include:
- Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI): Spraying reflective particles into the stratosphere to cool the planet.
- Sea Curtains: Underwater barriers to block warm ocean currents from reaching glaciers.
- Sea Ice Management: Pumping seawater onto ice sheets to refreeze and thicken them.
- Basal Water Removal: Extracting water from beneath glaciers to slow their movement.
- Ocean Fertilization: Adding nutrients to stimulate phytoplankton growth, which absorbs CO₂.
Concerns
- Unintended Consequences: These projects could disrupt ocean circulation, weather patterns, and ecosystems far beyond the polar regions.
- Global Impact: Local interventions may have cascading effects on monsoons, biodiversity, and food security.
- Ethical and Governance Issues: Who decides to deploy such technologies? What if they benefit some regions but harm others?
Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) carries the highest termination risk among polar geoengineering methods. If SAI is suddenly stopped after deployment, reflective aerosols rapidly leave the atmosphere and global temperatures rebound swiftly to levels dictated by greenhouse gas concentrations—a phenomenon termed “termination shock”. This abrupt warming can destabilize global climate systems, dramatically increase precipitation, and result in profound ecological and societal disruptions. Other methods, while risky, do not pose as immediate or extreme a risk of catastrophic rebound as SAI does.
Highlights
- The study evaluated 5 major polar geoengineering proposals and found that none were free from significant risks.
- Some interventions could worsen climate impacts in other parts of the world.
- Researchers emphasized the need for global cooperation and regulation before any deployment.
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