Spraying Diamond Dust: A Bold Proposal to Combat Global Warming Through Geoengineering

(Source: Indian Express; Section: Explained; Page: 12)

 Analysis of News:      

Spraying Diamond Dust: A Potential Climate Solution

• A new study suggests spraying millions of tonnes of diamond dust in the upper atmosphere could effectively reduce global warming.
• The concept involves reflecting solar radiation back into space to cool the Earth, an approach previously considered using materials like sulfur and calcium compounds.
• This method, termed solar radiation management (SRM), falls under broader geoengineering efforts aimed at altering Earth’s climate system.

 The Urgency of Cooling Measures

• Global warming has continued unabated, with temperatures already 1.2°C higher than pre-industrial levels. Current measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions have proven insufficient.
• Despite global pledges, emissions reductions are minimal, making it almost impossible to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting the rise to 1.5°C.
• Scientists are exploring drastic technological solutions like geoengineering to temporarily cool the planet while emissions reduction strategies lag behind.

Geoengineering and SRM

• Geoengineering refers to large-scale interventions in the Earth’s climate, with SRM aiming to prevent sunlight from reaching the Earth.
• Diamonds, the focus of the recent study, were found to be more effective than other materials previously tested.
• Achieving a temperature reduction of 1.6°C could require spraying 5 million tonnes of diamond dust annually. However, SRM is still theoretical, and no practical implementation has occurred so far.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

• Besides SRM, geoengineering also includes carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), where carbon emissions are trapped and stored underground.
• While CCS has been tested, its scalability and high costs remain significant barriers.
• Some innovative techniques, like direct air capture, are also under experimentation but face similar hurdles.

Challenges and Risks of SRM

• Although SRM offers promising results, it presents substantial technological, economic, and environmental challenges.
• Manipulating natural processes on a large scale could lead to unintended consequences like altering weather patterns, disrupting agriculture, and affecting biodiversity.
• The feasibility of deploying such technologies remains uncertain, with concerns over their effectiveness, costs, and long-term sustainability.

Conclusion: Geoengineering’s Role in Climate Solutions

• While geoengineering, especially SRM, offers potential quick fixes to mitigate global warming, it remains untested and fraught with risks.
• Both SRM and CCS technologies are seen as necessary, but practical and scalable solutions are yet to be realized.
• As global temperatures rise, these interventions could become critical, albeit contentious, tools in the fight against climate change.