Manipulated Earth Cooling: An Unreality in Artificial Refrigeration
In the face of climate change, understanding the risks and potential impacts on water availability, ecosystems, and food security is crucial for building protective policies. This is especially true for countries like Mexico, which heavily rely on subsistence agriculture.
Recent developments in climate science have focused on geoengineering, a large-scale intervention aimed at counteracting climate change without the need for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One concept under exploration is the replication of the temperature-dropping effect seen after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, achieved through the injection of stratospheric aerosols.
However, the application of geoengineering is not without its challenges. The unilateral use of such technology by a major power or a billionaire with resources could have unforeseen consequences. Moreover, coordinating a global climate manipulation project is uncertain, given the difficulty countries have in agreeing on emission reductions.
The development of accessible climate modeling tools is urgent to democratize the study of regional impacts, particularly in the tropics where most of humanity lives. Currently, most models and simulations on geoengineering are carried out on supercomputers in Global North countries, excluding researchers from the Global South from evaluating their own scenarios.
To address this, the use of statistical models that can run on any desktop computer is proposed. This would allow independent study of climate change effects, including the potential consequences of geoengineering. However, there is still a lack of information on what would happen if more or less aerosols were injected, if geoengineering was combined with emission reduction, or if the experiment was suddenly suspended.
Geoengineering raises ethical concerns, as it involves manipulating the entire planet and the life it harbors. It should not be considered a replacement for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but rather as a potential additional tool in the fight against climate change. It should be seen as a scenario that needs to be understood, given the potential inequalities it could exacerbate if not studied from the perspective and values of the Global South.
Despite these challenges, the focus on studying the impacts in the tropics is important because simulations anticipate even more extreme changes in rainfall in these regions. Ignoring the possible consequences of geoengineering could be as risky as applying them without reflection, given the geopolitical tensions and the inertia of emissions.
As we navigate this complex issue, it's essential to remember that rapid decarbonization of the economy, including betting on renewable energies, electric mobility, and sustainable food systems, remains the best strategy for addressing climate change.
