Science Weekly Is it time to try geoengineering?
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May 15, 2025 
Damian Carrington, the Environment editor at The Guardian, dives into the intriguing realm of geoengineering. He discusses upcoming UK experiments aimed at altering our climate system and the divided opinions among scientists on this contentious approach. The conversation touches on the potential promises and perilous risks involved, from modifying weather patterns to ethical implications. Catastrophic climate events, like the Mount Pinatubo eruption, serve as historical examples that shape the debate, making the need for solutions more urgent than ever.
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Volcanoes Inspire Geoengineering
- Volcanic eruptions like Mount Pinatubo demonstrate how injecting reflective particles into the stratosphere can cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight.
- This natural effect inspires geoengineering proposals to deliberately reflect sunlight and reduce global temperatures.
Main Geoengineering Approaches
- Geoengineering methods include spraying reflective aerosols into the stratosphere and brightening marine clouds by spraying seawater to increase reflectivity.
- Other ideas like ocean fertilization or space mirrors aim to remove CO2 or reflect sunlight but raise bigger questions of feasibility.
ARIA Funding Geoengineering Research
- ARIA is a UK government agency inspired by DARPA, aiming to fund cutting-edge scientific research including geoengineering.
- It has allocated over £50 million for early-stage geoengineering projects, showing official backing for experimentation.