White House shows support for solar geoengineering research
The White House Office of Science and Technologyr Policy has released a 5-year research plan for solar radiation management (SRM), also known as solar geoengineering. The plan is a response to a 2022 Congressional mandate directing OSTP to “provide guidance on transparency, engagement, and risk management for publicly funded work in solar geoengineering research.”
SRM refers to a group of approaches that can artificially cool the planet by reflecting incoming solar radiation back into space. The document outlines a potential research agenda to “advance understanding of the processes underpinning SRM and expected SRM deployment outcomes,” the report says.
The report focuses on two main SRM approaches: stratospheric aerosol injection and marine cloud brightening. In the former, sulfate particles are injected into the stratosphere to replicate the global cooling that occurs after volcanic eruptions. The latter uses sea salt to increase the reflectivity of low-lying clouds over the ocean.
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