Faculty Mentor
Jihong Cole-Dai
Abstract
Various responses to greenhouse gas induced climate change have been proposed within the literature. While the most desirable response is to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, technological and financial obstacles make it difficult to realize the reductions necessary to solve the climate change problem. Several geoengineering schemes have been proposed that would compensate for increased greenhouse gas concentrations by reducing the solar energy absorbed by Earth. The most notable of these shortwave climate engineering schemes involves injection of sulfur aerosols into the stratosphere in order to disperse incoming radiation. This paper examines the geoengineering responses to climate change and demonstrates that, while the research necessary for their use should be pursued, the proposed schemes present a serious risk to the global community and their use should not be taken lightly.
Recommended Citation
Huff, Gary
(2011)
"Engineering Our Climate: A Critical Review of the Geoengineering Response to Climate Change,"
The Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 9, Article 6.
Available at:
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/jur/vol9/iss1/6