https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/14/climate-research-into-cloud-barriers-or-arctic-refreezing-is-worth-funding
*Climate research into cloud barriers or Arctic refreezing is worth funding* *Dr Matthew Henry and Prof Stuart Haszeldine respond to an article about the UK’s ‘gamble’ on solar geoengineering* *14 March 2025* As a climate scientist working on solar geoengineering, I was struck by Raymond Pierrehumbert and Michael Mann’s call to defund the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) research programme (The UK’s gamble on solar geoengineering is like using aspirin for cancer, 12 March <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/12/solar-geoengineering-uk> ). Given current emission projections, it is likely that the world will reach 2C of warming. The only potential tool we have to reduce temperatures on a short timescale is solar geoengineering. It is necessary to reduce emissions, but once we reach net zero, global temperatures only stabilise, and the melting of glaciers and sea level rise will continue. While it is possible to remove carbon from the atmosphere, it remains slow and expensive for now. Solar geoengineering research is important because it is possible that the climate will react more strongly to greenhouse gases than expected, and even 2C of warming might have devastating impacts. It is undeniable that solar geoengineering has physical and political risks, and I share many of the concerns the authors raise. However, a warmer world that would increasingly become uninhabitable is also risky. Hence the risks of solar geoengineering must be balanced with the risks from the warming that would be attenuated. Climate model evidence suggests that some important hazards linked to climate change could be limited with a judicious deployment of solar geoengineering. However, climate models contain many uncertainties that well‑governed, small-scale outdoor experiments may enable us to reduce. While more research and higher‑quality information on solar geoengineering are not sufficient to guarantee good decision-making about it in the future, they are certainly a prerequisite. I welcome the UK government’s investment in solar geoengineering research. *Dr Matthew Henry* *Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Exeter* Your article is misjudged. Yes we must transform fossil fuel use and deploy carbon capture. But humans are losing the battle and we can’t afford an either/or argument. Just as low-dose aspirin use may protect <https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/aspirin-and-cancer> against cancer, low-dose prevention of heat using sulphur, manufactured clouds, Arctic refreezing or aiding flow of crucial ocean currents may be able to aid climate control. In fact, it might be the only chance we have. So please, UK, spend £57m <https://www.aria.org.uk/opportunity-spaces/future-proofing-our-climate-and-weather/exploring-climate-cooling#ourgoal> and more on geoengineering research now. *Prof Stuart Haszeldine* *School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh* *Source: Guardian* On Thu, Mar 13, 2025, 4:15 AM Claudia Wieners <[email protected]> wrote: > Just sent the Guardian an email, suggesting that for sake of balanced > debate they should not only publish articles against SRM, but also some > that discuss its potential benefits (along with the undeniable risks). > Probably they won't because they seem to have strong opinions about this, > but who knows, if enough people ask them o be more balanced, it may help > eventually? > > Op wo 12 mrt 2025 om 22:33 schreef Andrew Song <[email protected]>: > >> [image: MikeMann.jpg] >> >> >> On Wed, Mar 12, 2025 at 2:22 PM 'Alan Robock' via geoengineering < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> www.theguardian.com >>> >>> The UK’s gamble on solar geoengineering is like using aspirin for cancer >>> | Raymond Pierrehumbert and Michael Mann >>> <#m_6093634416986152326_m_7151157618197820981_m_-1672719964320064876_> >>> >>> Injecting pollutants into the atmosphere to reflect the sun would be >>> extremely dangerous, but the UK is funding field trials >>> >>> 🔗 >>> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/12/solar-geoengineering-uk >>> <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/12/solar-geoengineering-uk> >>> -- >>> >>> Alan >>> >>> Alan Robock, Distinguished Professor >>> Editor, *Reviews of Geophysics >>> <https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19449208>* (Impact >>> Factor 25.2) <https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19449208> >>> Department of Environmental Sciences Phone: +1-848-932-5751 >>> Rutgers University E-mail: >>> [email protected] >>> 14 College Farm Road >>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/14+College+Farm+Road?entry=gmail&source=g> >>> https://people.envsci.rutgers.edu/robock >>> New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8551 ☮ @alanrobock.bsky.social >>> <https://bsky.app/profile/alanrobock.bsky.social> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "geoengineering" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/9daa9aa6-080d-403e-a472-9c4623f89058%40envsci.rutgers.edu >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/9daa9aa6-080d-403e-a472-9c4623f89058%40envsci.rutgers.edu?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "geoengineering" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CANjZVEMxm5saUUExG_0jBngA8-iYh2kfrY%3Dwq9p_zuF1nP6Qcw%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CANjZVEMxm5saUUExG_0jBngA8-iYh2kfrY%3Dwq9p_zuF1nP6Qcw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CAJUUK5e92Vsrhx4Vp7HXabFXRJ71dbh3MzHpkfEoqXVqE0Qxvw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CAJUUK5e92Vsrhx4Vp7HXabFXRJ71dbh3MzHpkfEoqXVqE0Qxvw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. 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