Weekly Solar Geoengineering Updates (07 April - 13 April 2025)
Your weekly roundup of SRM updates from past week
1. This Week’s Top SRM Highlights
2. Research Papers
3. Web Posts
4. Report
5. Project
6. Book Chapter
7. Upcoming Events
8. Podcasts
9. YouTube Videos
RESEARCH PAPER: Simulated response of the climate of eastern Africa to stratospheric aerosol intervention (Frontiers in Climate)
RESEARCH PAPER: Peak Shaving with Solar Radiation Modification Would Shorten Global Temperature Overshoot (Oxford Open Climate Change)
PROJECT: NAVIGATE - Navigating the Uncharted Territory of the Anthropocene Climate (Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)
VIDEO: The Risky Climate Weapon Whose Time May Have Arrived (Bloomberg)
UPCOMING EVENT: The Precautionary Principle: Implications for Solar Radiation Modification Research (Co-Create)
PODCAST: Solar Geoengineering: Climate Chemo or Ozempic? (Wicked Problems)
EVENT RECORDING: Making sense of calls for bans and moratoria for solar geoengineering (SRM360)
Read on to unpack more updates:
Are Climate Geoengineering Technologies Being Patented? An Overview
Ramos, Y., & Santos, F. D. (2025). Are Climate Geoengineering Technologies Being Patented? An Overview. Climate, 13(4), 77.
Synopsis: The article explores the rise of geoengineering patents, driven by growing interest due to slow global mitigation progress. It focuses on carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management, especially patents held by major oil companies. Despite state-level secrecy, patent databases reveal technical, market, and stakeholder insights. The study underscores the need for innovation protection and global governance rooted in climate justice and ethical responsibility.
Simulated response of the climate of eastern Africa to stratospheric aerosol intervention
Misiani, H. O., Opijah, F. J., Endris, H. S., Ouma, J. O., Barasa, B. N., Tye, M. R., & MacMartin, D. G. Simulated Response of the Climate of Eastern Africa to Stratospheric Aerosol Intervention. Frontiers in Climate, 7, 1522235.
Synopsis: This study assesses the potential of solar radiation management via stratospheric aerosol injection to influence future climate in Eastern Africa. Using CESM2-WACCM6 simulations under SSP2-4.5 and ARISE-SAI scenarios, it evaluates changes in extreme temperature and rainfall. SAI effectively reduces projected warming across key cities but has mixed effects on rainfall, varying by region and season. While promising, results are scenario-specific and warrant further investigation.
Peak Shaving with Solar Radiation Modification Would Shorten Global Temperature Overshoot
Boselius, L., Duffey, A., & Irvine, P. J. (2025). Peak Shaving with Solar Radiation Modification Would Shorten Global Temperature Overshoot. Oxford Open Climate Change, kgaf013.
Synopsis: Emissions cuts alone may not prevent exceeding Paris climate targets. In overshoot scenarios, carbon removal can help return to target temperatures, while solar radiation modification could reduce peak warming. This study shows SRM "peak shaving" may shorten overshoot duration by 5–20%, mainly due to ocean cooling effects. Used with emissions cuts and CDR, SRM could help end overshoot decades sooner.
Analysis of the Consequences of Implementing Geoengineering Projects in the Changing Climate
Tronin, A. A., Vasil’ev, M. P., & Kodolova, A. V. (2025). Analysis of the Consequences of Implementing Geoengineering Projects in the Changing Climate. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology, 50(1), 21-29.
Synopsis: The paper analyzes various geoengineering approaches to address global climate change, focusing on two main categories: solar radiation management and greenhouse gas reduction. It identifies both positive and negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of potential implementation. The study also outlines existing international legal principles related to geoengineering and highlights the urgent need for clearer national and international legal frameworks.
Marine Stratocumulus Clouds With More Coarse Sea Spray Aerosols Are Brighter
Liu, F., Mao, F., Rosenfeld, D., Pan, Z., Zang, L., Zhu, Y., & Gong, W. (2025). Marine stratocumulus clouds with more coarse sea spray aerosols are brighter. Geophysical Research Letters, 52(7), e2024GL113718.
Synopsis: Marine cloud brightening is a proposed method to cool the Earth by increasing cloud reflectivity. While past studies focused on fine aerosols (FA), this study finds that combining FA (~3 μg/m³) with coarse sea spray aerosols (CSA, ~30 μg/m³) enhances cooling significantly—up to −95 W/m², 60% more than FA alone. Based on satellite data and reanalysis, this effect holds across conditions, boosting confidence in MCB’s cooling potential and its feasibility as a climate intervention.
Climate Intervention Techniques: Pros and Cons
Ribeiro, J. G., Reboita, M. S., & Ferreira, G. W. de S. (2025). Climate intervention techniques: Pros and cons. Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física, 18(3), 1621–1644.
Synopsis: Climate intervention techniques aim to deliberately alter the climate system to counter climate change. This study reviews methods like stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and CO₂ removal. While aerosol injection can cool the planet, it carries risks like altered rainfall and ozone loss. CO₂ removal supports decarbonization but faces scale challenges. The study urges global governance and further research to address uncertainties and ensure equitable use.
A realistic climate strategy—Preprint
Taylor, G. M., Wadhams, P., Goreau, T., Reed, S., Kuswanto, H., Visioni, D., & Garrity, D. (2025). A realistic climate strategy [Preprint]. EarthArXiv.
Synopsis: This paper entails that the current climate strategy is failing, with policies too slow to prevent dangerous tipping points. IPCC assessments downplay catastrophic risks of overshooting targets. Solar geoengineering, despite concerns, may soon be the only viable option to rapidly cool the planet. Without coordinated global action, unilateral deployment is likely. Urgent research and governance are needed to ensure safe use—alongside, not instead of, emissions cuts and carbon removal.
Solar geoengineering moves into the spotlight as climate concerns grow (Science News)
Conspiracy theories fuel state efforts to ban geoengineering (E&E News by Politico)
We Need a Fresh Approach to Climate Policy. It’s Time for Climate Realism (CFR)
The Risky Climate Weapon Whose Time May Have Arrived (Bloomberg)
Utah: Cloud Seeding Bills Pass / Geoengineering Ban Fails (Zero Geoengineering)
Putting Mirrors in Space Is a Dangerous Climate Distraction (Bloomberg)
Co-Create Case Studies of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) Field Tests and Related Activities (Co-Create)
Navigating The Uncharted Territory of the Anthropocene Climate-NAVIGATE (Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research)
Geoengineering Governance in the Arctic—Just Transition or Technological Climate Nightmare? (Taylor & Francis)
(NEW) The Precautionary Principle: Implications for Solar Radiation Modification Research by Co-Create | 15 April 2025 | Online
Earth System Intervention Roundtable by ClimateImpact Calendar | 22 April 2025 | California
(NEW) Solar radiation modification seminar (Belgium government) by Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission | 24 April 2025 | Belgium
2025 Solar Radiation Management Annual Meeting by Simons Foundation | 24-25 April 2025 | New York
(NEW) Dimming the sun—The urgent case for geoengineering by MEER | 04 May 2025 | Online
The 2025 Degrees Global Forum | 12-16 May 2025 | Cape Town, South Africa
Fifteenth GeoMIP Workshop by NSF and Quadrature Climate Foundation | 12-16 May, 2025 | Cape Town, South Africa
Consultative Workshop and Science-Policy Dialogue on Solar Radiation Modification by UNEP | 19-20 May 2025 | Switzerland
Artic Repair Conference 2025 by University of Cambridge & Center for Climate Repair | 26-28 June 2025 | Cambridge UK
2025 RFF and Harvard SRM Social Science Research Workshop: Governance in a Fractured World | 04-05 September 2025 | Washington DC
11th WMO Scientific Conference on Weather Modification | 3-7 November 2025 | Pune, India
Solar Geoengineering: Climate Chemo or Ozempic? | Wicked Problems
"Is it time to break glass? Or bury the idea completely? Researchers from Harvard and U Chicago weigh in."
Making sense of calls for bans and moratoria for solar geoengineering | SRM360
"The European Commission is now reviewing proposals for moratoria recommended by its scientific advisors.Meanwhile, a growing number of US states have proposed bills that would ban geoengineering, with a notable increase in the number of proposals during the first quarter of 2025. SRM360.org invites you to a live discussion on the growing debate surrounding moratoria and bans on solar geoengineering, otherwise known as solar radiation modification (SRM)."
The Risky Business of Geoengineering | Bloomberg Primer | Bloomberg Originals
'Bloomberg Originals offers bold takes for curious minds on today’s biggest topics. Hosted by experts covering stories you haven’t seen and viewpoints you haven’t heard, you’ll discover cinematic, data-led shows that investigate the intersection of business and culture. Exploring every angle of climate change, technology, finance, sports and beyond, Bloomberg Originals is business as you’ve never seen it."
Consider the Following with Bill Nye | Cool Surfaces | Climate Resolve
"ClimateResolve has teamed up with Bill Nye "The Science Guy" to shed light on an underutilized & powerful strategy to combat climate change: cool surfaces!Consider the following: If we replaced 80% of roofs and pavements in U.S. cities with cool materials, it would offset the global warming produced by up to 12 years of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions! "
GeoOnsdag: Can geoengineering preserve Arctic sea ice? | UiO Realfagsbiblioteket
"Welcome to the GeoWednesday talk "Can geoengineering preserve Arctic sea ice?", by Stephen Warren, Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Earth & Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Disasters caused by rapid global warming are stimulating interest in the possibility of cooling Earth’s climate, by artificially reflecting some of the incident sunlight back to space, called “geoengineering”. In contrast to the methods of global geoengineering (injecting aerosols into the stratosphere or brightening clouds over the ocean), there are also proposals for regional geoengineering specific to the Arctic. The hope is to counter the rapid ongoing decline of sea ice, by increasing the ice growth rate in winter, or reducing the melt rate in summer. One method evaluated in detail is the proposal to spread white powder (hollow glass microspheres) over the various surface types on the Arctic Ocean, to reflect the sunlight.
Stephen Warren is Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Earth & Space Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research interest is the interaction of solar radiation with snow, clouds, and sea ice, and their role in climate. He has taught classes on climate, atmospheric radiation, glaciology, and scientific writing, and has won two awards for excellence in teaching. He has supervised 8 M.S. students and 12 Ph.D. students."
"Dr. Fitzgerald discusses the state of the climate, some of the recent changes, the trend in emissions and greenhouse gas (GHG) levels, and importantly the trajectories which are now considered by the IPCC."
"In this episode, Mr. Sun (AI-generated) and Ms. Remove (AI-generated) discuss a new paper that investigates the potential of radiative cooling (RC) materials to counteract global warming by reflecting sunlight and emitting heat into space. It compares the global warming potential (GWP) and radiative forcing (RF) of various RC materials with conventional building materials and natural surfaces. The study demonstrates that RC materials with high solar reflectivity and infrared emissivity offer significant cooling benefits, capable of reducing RF when implemented on a large scale, such as covering 1% of Earth's surface. While RC technology shows promise for mitigating climate change, it is highlighted as not a complete solution to greenhouse gas emissions, but rather a valuable tool for reducing warming while other solutions are developed. Ultimately, the research emphasizes the importance of incorporating advanced RC materials into sustainable practices to lessen the environmental impact of human activities."
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