Topic
Socio-Political Challenges and Concerns
Sunlight reflection methods could change the climate with wide-ranging environmental consequences, but they also raise profound socio-political challenges and concerns.
This includes how they might affect progress on other climate policies and how they might affect international relations.
This page explores some of the main challenges, including around governance and international law, attribution of the effects of SRM, and the risks of unilateral deployment.
Featured Content
Mitigation Displacement: Could SRM Undermine Emissions Cuts?
A common objection to the study and potential development of sunlight reflection methods, also known as solar radiation modification (SRM), is that it could undermine efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions – the root cause of global warming. How serious is this risk, and could it be prevented with smart policy?
By Pete Irvine, Tyler Felgenhauer, Mark Turner
Unilateral Deployment: Could a Single Country Change the Global Climate?
Given how inexpensive and powerful some sunlight reflection methods, also known as solar radiation modification (SRM), appear...
7 min read
Does International Law Prohibit SRM?
Because they would alter the climate and could cause harm, some people wonder whether sunlight reflection methods or solar ra...
5 min read
Could SRM Be Weaponised?
Sunlight reflection methods or solar radiation modification (SRM) could allow some control over the climate to limit the impa...
6 min read
Articles
Cooling Credits: Could Paying for SRM Deployment Offset CO2 Emissions?
“Cooling credits” are being offered as a way for companies and individuals to offset their carbon dioxide (CO2...
7 min read
Unilateral Deployment: Could a Single Country Change the Global Climate?
Given how inexpensive and powerful some sunlight reflection methods, also known as solar radiation modification (SRM), appear...
7 min read
Will Scientists Know if SRM Caused Extreme Weather?
If sunlight reflection methods, also known as solar radiation modification (SRM), were deployed to lower temperatures, and ev...
5 min read
Mitigation Displacement: Could SRM Undermine Emissions Cuts?
A common objection to the study and potential development of sunlight reflection methods, also known as solar radiation modif...
5 min read
Does International Law Prohibit SRM?
Because they would alter the climate and could cause harm, some people wonder whether sunlight reflection methods or solar ra...
5 min read
Could SRM Be Weaponised?
Sunlight reflection methods or solar radiation modification (SRM) could allow some control over the climate to limit the impa...
6 min read
Perspectives
Solar Geoengineering, Sovereignty, and the Case for Ecological Realism
Beth Chalecki argues that states clinging to an outdated vision of sovereignty could see solar geoengineering as a means to d...
8 min read
Given the Political Landscape, Arctic SRM Is Neither Feasible nor Desirable
Nikolaj Kornbech argues that the fraught political landscape in the Arctic makes the region poorly suited for the deployment ...
7 min read
The European Commission Receives Recommendations on SRM
Three experts react to recommendations on sunlight reflection methods, also known as solar radiation modification (SRM), give...
5 min read
The Importance of Transparent, Unbiased Communication on SRM
Whitney Peterson of The Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering highlights the critical role of transparency a...
6 min read
Governance Recommendations for the For-Profit SAI Startup “Stardust”
Janos Pasztor presents the governance recommendations he prepared for the for-profit startup “Stardust”, which is looking...
5 min read
Podcasts
SRM Governance With Cynthia Scharf
Join our exclusive conversation with Cynthia Scharf, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Future Generations.
34 mins
News Roundup: James Hansen and SRM, Arctic Ice Project Shuts Down, New MCB Studies, and More
We’re joined by SRM experts: Viktor Jaakkola, Head of Scientific Collaboration at Operaatio Arktis; Michael Diamond, As...
30 mins
The Geopolitics of SRM
We’re joined by geopolitical experts: Olaf Corry, Beth Chalecki, and Josh Horton.
18 mins
News Roundup: Hottest Year, SRM Under Trump, International SRM Discussions, and More
We’re joined by SRM scientists and governance experts: Blaž Gasparini, Claudia Wieners, and Shuchi Talati to discuss the latest SRM news.
30 mins