Geoengineering Test Draws Criticism
December 22, 2020
A proposed balloon flight to advance research on reflecting sunlight to cool the atmosphere and curb global warming is meeting resistance from critics who say such geoengineering poses unacceptable risks. One scientist involved in the test, Harvard’s David Keith, acknowledges potential risks, but says “understanding them requires a range of activities including experiments.” In Issues, he lays out a framework of basic principles to guide research on solar geoengineering as part of a package that includes reducing the drivers of atmospheric warming and studying climate change mitigation and adaptation.