White House to study releasing aerosols into the atmosphere to counter climate change

The White House plans to study spraying aerosols such as sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere to counter climate change — a strategy some scientists view as a risky intervention in the atmosphere but that others think may be a useful last resort to prevent global warming.

This practice, called geoengineering, aims to reflect the sun’s radiation from the stratosphere back into space to minimize rising temperatures. The White House five-year plan was authorized by Congress this year and is being executed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Energy.

Researchers are split on whether the risks of geoengineering outweigh the rewards, mostly due to a lack of information on the subject.

Daniel Cohan, associate professor for civil and environmental engineering at Rice University, said there are more natural, safe and impactful ways to counter climate change than geoengineering. But he added that additional studies on the topic can reveal the exact magnitude of its cooling benefits and climate risks.- READ MORE