Reflecting the sun’s rays back to space to prevent climate change, known as solar geoengineering, is as controversial as it is intriguing. SWI swissinfo.ch explains all there is to know about this “Plan B” for the climate that is dividing the scientific community. Last year was the warmest year on record globally with the impact of climate change increasingly evident: glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme events such as droughts and floods are becoming more frequent. After the announcement of the Trump administration to withdrawal the United States from the Paris Agreement, the goal of limiting climate warming to 1.5°C appears increasingly out of reach. This has put solar radiation modification (SRM) technologies – long considered taboo as they raise ethical questions without addressing the origins of climate change – back at the forefront of research. Private foundations and countries such as the US, Britain and China have invested tens of millions of dollars in ...
