Climate Intervention Strategies 

Under this theme, in this round of admissions I am actively looking for motivated candidates to pursue research in - 

Short-wave and long-wave radiation management schemes have gained attention as potential methods to address the increasing rate of global warming, particularly following the influential work of Nobel Laureate Paul Crutzen in 2006. These intentional, large-scale climate interventions aim to modulate the planetary radiation balance and mitigate the effects of human-induced climate change. Suggested approaches include placement of mirrors in space, injection of reflective aerosol particles into the stratosphere, brightening of marine clouds, and brightening surfaces.

Simulations with multiple climate models indicate that global warming can be fully or partially compensated by these methods (e.g., Kravitz et al., 2013). However, significant drawbacks exist: regional differences persist even when the global mean warming is mitigated, and there is no offset in the direct effects of greenhouse gases (GHGs) on precipitation (Kravitz et al., 2013; Modak & Bala, 2014; Schneider et al., 2020). While additional concerns include non-radiative effects of GHGs, moral hazards, governance issues, and the risks associated with termination shock (Matthews et al., 2009, Pierrehumbert, 2019), we recognize that such interventions can be comparatively cost effective and quicker to implement than traditional mitigation strategies targeting the root cause of climate change

My group is actively investigating these climate intervention methods. Our work aims to rigorously evaluate the feasibility of implementation, the potential for complete mitigation of climate change, and the associated social, ethical, and governance challenges. By highlighting these risks and exploring the underlying science, we seek to contribute robust, interdisciplinary insights into the role—and limitations—of engineering approaches in addressing climate change.



Relevant papers: