The Climate Pod

Is Geoengineering Worth The Gamble? (w/ Gernot Wagner)

Nov 24, 2021
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INSIGHT

Different Tools, Different Properties

  • Solar geoengineering (stratospheric aerosols) and carbon removal are distinct with opposite properties and roles.
  • Solar geoengineering is cheap and risks being deployed too quickly or excessively if not governed carefully.
ANECDOTE

Mount Pinatubo As A Natural Experiment

  • The 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption cooled global average temperatures by about 0.5°C and offered real-world data on aerosol cooling.
  • Researchers learned effects on temperatures, crops and other systems, showing volcanic eruptions inform geoengineering study.
ADVICE

Study Practical Delivery And Costs

  • If researchers consider stratospheric aerosols, they should study delivery via high-altitude aircraft and realistic costs.
  • Prepare engineering studies for specially designed high-wing, large-fuselage planes and budget in the low single-digit billions annually for deployment scenarios.
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