The risks of solar geoengineering research
Jennie C. Stephens, Prakash Kashwan, Duncan McLaren, Kevin Surprise
Abstract
As the climate crisis worsens, pressure is mounting for world leaders to accelerate climate action. A National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report (1) released in March recommends that the United States invest unilaterally to expand research on solar geoengineering, a set of controversial proposed strategies to cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back to space. However, unilateral, preemptive research without broad public participation, and before a global governance structure is established, risks exacerbating international conflict and undermining progress on energy system transformation away from fossil fuels in the highly contested and politicized landscape of global climate policy (2–4).