Solar geoengineering should be regulated, UN report says
A panel of climate experts convened by the United Nations is calling for international regulations to extend into the stratosphere.
The recommendation — detailed in a report released Monday — could help manage the risks associated with spraying sunlight-reflecting aerosols dozens of miles above the Earth’s surface. Such stratospheric aerosol injection is largely untested and potentially harmful, but it’s attracting attention as an emergency measure to avoid catastrophic climate change.
“This group unanimously suggests [stratospheric aerosol injection] be considered within a new broader framework for the governance of the stratosphere,” the experts wrote in the report by the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP. “Other activities such as rocket launches may also be considered as little regulatory or governance structures presently exist for the stratosphere.” [Continue reading…]