What initially seemed like a passing science fiction mediahype, suddenly appears almost inevitable: Solar Radiation Modification. A form of geo-engineering in which sunlight would be filtered or reflected back to outer space in order to counteract greenhouse gases. Behind the scenes, philanthropists and geopolitical powers such as the US and Russia are investing millions in researching this extremely controversial technique, the consequences of which are still far from fully understood. Large-scale implementation seems both an incredible and a logical consequence of this race. Is it a necessary evil or a malicious distraction strategy? Can it be stopped at all? And if not, could proper governance prevent a planetary clusterfuck in our atmosphere?
Proposal focuses on technique that fills atmosphere with particles, reflecting part of sun’s heat and light back into space.
Een ‘technofix’ waarbij kunstmatig het zonlicht wordt gedimd kan in theorie helpen de opwarming op aarde tegen te gaan. Door alleen al die suggestie krijgt het zijn eigen dynamiek.
Als de internationale klimaatpolitiek niet snel van koers verandert, belanden we op een doodlopend spoor naar ‘climate engineering’, ofwel het kunstmatig afkoelen van de aarde, zegt politicoloog Jeroen Oomen.
