Debate: Is Engineering Solar Radiation A Crazy Idea?

Climate engineers around the world are developing technologies that aim to reflect sunrays away from Earth. This intervention, they argue, could cool the climate and help address concerns about rising global temperatures. But skeptics say messing with Mother Nature could have unintended consequences. Should climate engineers try to dim the sun?

FOR THE MOTION:
Clive Hamilton - Professor & Author, “Earthmasters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering”
Anjali Viswamohanan - Scholar, Oxford

AGAINST THE MOTION:
David Keith - Professor, Harvard & Founder, Carbon Engineering
Ted Parson - Professor, UCLA

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[OpentoDebate]

Explore our latest newsletter insights and debater editorials. Is Engineering Solar Radiation a Crazy Idea?

[MCshlthead]

Continuing emissions unabated is also crazy, maybe even more crazy. But that's what we're doing

[macalister]

Atmospheric aerosol injection has been going on for the last few years, i watch them spray and watch the clouds form .

[andx]

Why are they making this about race and sex? Sad that scientists seek to convince the public that their ideas are correct by saying that disagreement with them is rasict and sexist.

[helenbirdart]

what a bunch of crap, we witness geoengineering every day be it purposeful or accidental.

[lllll]

"crazy" can mean anything, what a stupid motion. for means nothing and against also means nothing

[greatunwashed]

It'd be interesting to have an IQ2 debate about nuclear fission.

[jonathansmith]

The answer is reform of agricultural practices. Ground cover crops sequester carbon and improve soil quality which reduces the need for petro based fertilizer.

[Kreadus]

Yes, yes it is crazy. Any non-zero chance of being unable to reverse the operation is unacceptable. Totally crazy.

[BernardPech]

What about putting a Fresnel lens at the L1 point between the Earth and the Sun? A 1000 km*km lens would reduce radiation reaching the earth by 1%. The lens could be built with 100 100km*km lenses with active control to deploy the lenses and keep them in place at the L1 point. A project for SpaceX.

[TheeBohemian]

There is no debate here only the pretense of one. The _opposition_ is toothless. The first speaker said nothing definitively against solar radiation management until the very end and the second advocates some ambiguous 'fairness' in the usage of this particular technology as if it is already a foregone conclusion and both seem only concerned about policy regulation not implementation itself. The only apparent disagreement is over minutiae and not directed at the proposition at hand. You cannot have a debate without _an actual and discernible opposition._

[nitinpiparava]

Being student of science and a farmer son, I can this is suicidal idea. What they proposing is putting more sulfur with other chemicals in hemisphere without knowing Mother Nature. This another gate to enter in more complex climate changes instead fixing. Let me tell you common sense example.

Will putting surfer on your head resolve heat wave or climate problem, Its just you are putting your hand on you eyes and says sun is set.

We need more organic ways to address this issue, I did little experiment at my hometown. My father being old-school and blindly following modern agriculture culture cut trees around my farm. He says it's block air and reduce agriculture production . So 5 years back I Planted 20 tree around my farm house and now its 70% cooler than earlier in hottest summer and my mother says now it's big relief in farm house and understood that trees are more fruitful overall then aggressive strategy of more farm production for money

If you want to experience this just stand 30 secs in direct under sun and stand 30 secs under tree. See how much trees are powerful. People like to park vehicle under tree instead roof top because tree will save vehicle from becoming fire bunker.

HeatWave is not some vehicle that if you put wall between it will stop. If you see from other angle Engineering Solar Radiation will make our earth Solar bunker. Bunker can stop sun ray but not heat. Heat is energy not some stuff so you can block. We need to find way to absorb that energy to consume that energy.

I hope this panel knows that you can not kill or block energy. Energy can be absorb, utilise and transform.

[mmdrodrigues]

It's already happening according to some

[Micscience]

What I find funny is they are talking about deploying this idea in the future even though in reality it has already been deployed a long time ago. The criss cross shaped artificial clouds in the sky is solar geoengineering sprayed into the atmosphere from airplanes which has been happening for at least a decade before this debate occurred on a regular basis. And it was being done at a smaller level starting from the 1940's. I personally think it is a crazy idea since we don't fully understand how the climate works. However the climate can still be controlled in many ways such as making it rain and creating droughts and who knows what else more they can do. They understand some side effects but a lot is unknown especially in the long term. I think this is a really risky idea.

[robbydebeurs]

David Keith: the kind of guy to destroy the world’s natural water cycles and then blame it on his computer...

[StarlessStage]

The SRM an easy fix but it will help mitigate the the damage we will have to deal with as we implement the solution (renewable energy) and wait for the solution to bear fruit.

[Alkalite]

The emotional appeal (fear mongering) and speculation in this debate on the side for the resolution is absolutely disgusting. Do yourself a favor and skip to the end or don't watch at all.

[Rosiemck]

Let's try a different approach. So hey debaters. While you're all sitting around discussing whether this is a crazy idea or not, it appears that either someone else is already doing it and has been doing it for years now, OR our passenger planes are creating so much pollution that they are doing the job for you. You might want to check it out. I think someone is infringing on your existing patents. It's happening world wide and it's happening just as you are proposing it would work. Air planes flying and spraying a substance that spreads over the sky and blocks out the sun. Someone somewhere is making a a fortune on the manufacturing of the spray they are using. You should definitely look into this. It may be in the wrong hands already!!

[jonathansmith]

Mute debate. It's being done right now. Look up and see the trails of aerosol being sprayed. Constant here in southwest Florida.

[jarshcharty]

As to the non natural ingredients "....ohh... a bunch pf other stuff is being discussed".