“On closer inspection, solar radiation management exhibits MAD traits,” says Schellnhuber. “The latter acronym stands for ‘mutual assured destruction’, that is, the ominous doctrine of the arms race frenzy. If the climate can be influenced rather inexpensively by sending aerosol rockets to the stratosphere, then who decides when and where the buttons are pushed?” Certain countries like Russia might actually welcome some warming of their territories, Schellnhuber says, while others might not.
“The (moderately) good schemes involving CO2 capture are not affordable, and the (moderately) affordable schemes involving radiation management are no good, so what are we going to do? The answer seems obvious and utterly sensible, namely intentionally aborting unintended geoengineering as resulting from careless fossil fuel use,” says Schellnhuber. In other words: decarbonization.
Weblink to PNAS “Geoengineering: The good, the MAD, and the sensible”
