Climate Engineering - An lesser known wonder of science

Author: Aravindan

Climate engineering, also known as geoengineering, is the intentional, large-scale intervention in the Earth's climate system to mitigate the effects of global warming. It primarily encompasses two categories of technologies: Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Solar Radiation Modification (SRM).The Two Main Categories1. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Solar Radiation Modification (SRM).
The Two Main Categories1

. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)CDR techniques target the root cause of climate change by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and storing them long-term in land, oceans, or geological formations.
Direct Air Capture (DAC): Using large industrial machines to extract CO₂ from ambient air for storage underground.Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Burning biomass for energy while capturing and permanently storing the resulting CO₂ emissions.
Ocean Fertilization: Adding nutrients to the ocean to stimulate phytoplankton growth, which draws down atmospheric carbon as they die and sink.

2. Solar Radiation Modification (SRM)SRM seeks to rapidly cool the Earth by reflecting a small fraction of sunlight back into space. These methods do not lower greenhouse gas levels, but they offset the warming effect.

Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI): Spraying reflective particles (like sulfur dioxide) into the upper atmosphere to mimic the cooling effect of large volcanic eruptions.

Marine Cloud Brightening: Spraying fine seawater droplets into low-lying marine clouds to make them whiter and more reflective.

Space Mirrors: Placing giant mirrors or fleets of small reflectors in orbit to block a  Placing giant mirrors or fleets of small reflectors in orbit to block a portion of the sun's rays.

Aerosols used in climate engineering:

In climate engineering (specifically Stratospheric Aerosol Injection), the most heavily researched aerosols is calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). It is deployed into the upper atmosphere to reflect a fraction of sunlight back into space, thereby cooling the planet. The choice of aerosol depends on its cooling efficiency and potential side effects 
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃): Proposed as an alternative, this compound is highly reflective and could potentially neutralize the acids that damage the ozone layer.

Sea Salt: In a different climate engineering technique known as Marine Cloud.