Spraying salt in clouds to combat climate change comes with global risks
Marine cloud brightening could cool the Earth, but new research warns it might have unintended, global consequences.
Sean Mowbray reports for Mongabay.
In short:
- Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is a proposed method to reflect sunlight and cool the planet, but it’s highly controversial and lacks proper regulation.
- A recent study shows MCB could have severe global impacts, especially if used on a regional scale without careful oversight.
- Experts stress the need for international governance to manage MCB experiments and potential deployments.
Key quote:
“It is extremely important to differentiate between [small-scale field] research...and impact-scale experimentation or activities related to using or marketing climate interventions.”
— Kelly Wanser, senior adviser to the University of Washington MCB program
Why this matters:
Nobody really knows what kind of ripple effects MCB could have on the planet's weather systems. It could lead to unintended consequences, like changes in rainfall patterns or impacts on marine ecosystems that could be just as damaging as the warming we’re trying to prevent.
Read more: Solar geoengineering: Scientists decry a 'foolish' idea
