Geoengineering, also known as climate engineering, refers to large-scale interventions in the Earth’s natural systems with the aim of counteracting climate change. As global warming continues to accelerate due to rising greenhouse gas emissions, geoengineering has gained attention as a potential solution to mitigate its impacts. While not a replacement for reducing emissions, it offers innovative approaches that could buy time for humanity to transition toward sustainable energy and practices. However, it also raises significant scientific, ethical, and political challenges.

One of the most widely discussed categories of geoengineering is solar radiation management (SRM). This approach focuses on reflecting a portion of the sun’s rays back into space to cool the Earth’s surface. Methods include stratospheric aerosol injection, where reflective particles are dispersed into the atmosphere, and cloud brightening, which enhances the reflectivity of marine clouds. Though theoretically effective in reducing global temperatures quickly, SRM does not address the root…