Well, if you say so …
Press Pause
In a recent attempt to ward off the worst effects of climate change, scientists have been debating for years whether it would help to try stratospheric aerosol injection. According to the theory, they would try to disperse particles into the atmosphere that would reflect sunlight back from the earth.
But some new academic reports suggest that it might make sense to hold off on geo-engineering experiments until we really know what impact it will have on the earth, Ars Technica reports. Sure, models suggest that reflective particles would be injected into the atmosphere to cool the planet, but scientists still seem to have a poor understanding of what ecological impact the experiments below could have.
Take stock
The authors of a new report, published in the magazine on Monday PNASdoes not necessarily condemn stratospheric aerosol injection. Instead, they say it suggests could can cause unintended side effects, which can damage ecosystems, and that we need to know what will happen before we try it out.
‘[Geoengineering advocates] does not have details that ecologists like to look at, on a very fine scale, ”said co-author and Rutgers University environmental scientist Alan Robock. Ars Technica. “They can do better simulations, but for that we need better data.”
The National Academics of Science, Engineering and Medicine came to a similar conclusion in the 329-page document it published last month, in which experts propose to pursue the technology “carefully”.
Teamwork
The authors call for improved collaboration between experts in different fields, which they say is very much lacking. According to researchers, geo-engineering needs to work closely with ecologists to really find out what their technology can do to the planet before using it.
‘I think the main message of both is [reports], ”Christopher Field, chairman of the National Academic Committee behind the older document, said Ars Technica“Is that we need to understand a lot more about the consequences before we do something.”
READ MORE: Ecological consequences of geo-engineering in the sun are very uncertain [Ars Technica]
More about geo-engineering: Harvard halt plans for controversial geo-engineering experiment
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