This could be a new tool to fight global warming

The author highlights a new climate model suggesting that Antarctic melting could raise sea levels by one meter by 2100, with the West Antarctic Ice Sheet potentially causing a rise of over five meters regardless of emissions cuts. To mitigate this, the text proposes albedo modification—specifically injecting synthetic aerosols into the stratosphere—as a low-cost geoengineering method to reflect sunlight. While acknowledging that solar geoengineering cannot stabilize the climate alone and carries risks, the author contends that its potential to reduce peak temperatures and extreme rainfall justifies an exploratory research program, which could cost a few tens of millions of dollars annually.

• A new high-quality model of Antarctic ice and climate indicates that melting in Antarctica could lead to a global sea-level increase of up to one meter by the end of the century. Furthermore, the model suggests that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be lost even with extraordinary emissions cuts, potentially leading to sea-level rises exceeding five meters.
• Albedo modification, a form of geoengineering that increases the reflectivity of the atmosphere via synthetic aerosols in the stratosphere, is presented as a tool to help keep global warming under 1.5°C when used alongside emissions cuts. Climate models suggest it can mitigate peak temperatures, reduce heat wave risks, and decrease extreme rainfall.
• The author argues that the direct costs of full-scale albedo modification deployment are relatively low, in the single-digit billions of dollars, while the potential economic benefits are measured in trillions. An exploratory research program is estimated to cost only a few tens of millions of dollars per year.
• Despite recommendations for research from the US National Academy of Sciences in 1983, 1992, and 2015, and support from groups like the Environmental Defense Fund and the Natural Resources Defense Council, no organized research program for albedo modification currently exists.

APA

Wagner, D. K. G. (2016). This could be a new tool to fight global warming. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/this-could-be-a-new-tool-to-fight-global-warming/

Chicago

Wagner, David Keith, Gernot. This could be a new tool to fight global warming. World Economic Forum, 2016. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/this-could-be-a-new-tool-to-fight-global-warming/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Wagner |first1=David Keith, Gernot |title=This could be a new tool to fight global warming |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=17 June 2016 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/this-could-be-a-new-tool-to-fight-global-warming/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{wagner2016this, author = {Wagner, David Keith, Gernot}, title = {{This could be a new tool to fight global warming}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2016}, month = jun, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/this-could-be-a-new-tool-to-fight-global-warming/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }