SCoPEx
Have you heard of geoengineering? It arose in the 1970s and is a set of measures aimed at changing climatic conditions. This is a response of sorts to climate change concerns.
It's no secret that human activity has an impact on the climate. Most scientists agree that this impact is negative and in the future is capable of causing significant damage to all of humanity. Since we cannot give up the benefits of civilization, and we lack the mental abilities to improve the technology of their production, geoengineering is designed to correct the damage that humanity causes to the planet.
There were many geoengineering projects and experiments. For example, in order to reduce the intensity of melting of glaciers, scientists covered them with a completely white artificial cover. This was intended to enhance the ability of glaciers to reflect solar radiation. There was another project that aimed to restore the size of the glaciers. It consisted in spraying fresh water over them, since sea water freezes worse.
Recently, due to its cancellation, the geoengineering project Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment became famous. It consisted in the intention of scientists to spray light-reflecting small particles in the atmosphere in order to reduce the amount of solar radiation that reaches the surface of the planet. The purpose of this experiment was to cool the planet.
To better understand the potential risks of this project, the researchers wanted to conduct the first ever outdoor experiment using reflective particles using a balloon in Sweden. However, this did not happen. The reason for canceling the experiment was a failed communication with people. The project caused protests and complaints from the public.
Undoubtedly, the scientists were disappointed, but let's think, is the public really that bad?
It is known that that people do not take well to everything new, but let's not forget that the climate is a very complex system with a huge number of factors that are in balance. Scientists are able to single out 20-30 main ones, but it is quite possible that there are, let's say, a million of these factors. No scientist is able to predict what final result this or that action will have on such a complex system. And we have no chance of making a mistake, we cannot take a spare climate from the shelf.
The Earth's climate constantly goes through phases of warming and cooling. Suppose that the experiment would succeed and scientists would manage to cool the planet. The warming phase is followed by the cooling phase. Where is the guarantee that by reducing the temperature and preventing warming, we will not provoke a new ice age during the next cooling?
The problem with geoengineering is also that it affects a large-scale system that has evolved over a much longer time span than all of modern human science. An experiment that may seem successful to our generation and the next may well turn out to be a failure, say, in 1000 years.
In my opinion, if humanity really wants to reduce the harm from its own activities, it is worth following proven ways, which include improving modern production technologies and increasing the area of green spaces. And it is also possible to reduce our own excessive consumption, although it seems that we are not capable of this.
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You name exactly the points that would also give me the biggest headaches: the human urge to influence things (without realising what else it changes...) We still haven't learned!
Oh yeah, I don't think we're even close to that yet.