What is Climate Engineering?

Climate Engineering sometimes planetary engineering or negative emission technologies It means the deliberate and large-scale intervention or manipulation of the environment in order to combat human-induced climate change.

It is known that the solution proposals presented under the title of climate engineering will generally cause continental or global effects. This term, which we have heard frequently, especially in the last 10 years, covers many potential methods. According to a study (EUTRACE - European Climate Engineering Assessment) carried out by a consortium of 14 institutions with European Union funding, one should not put hope in climate engineering solutions to reduce the negative effects of climate change. Researchers underline that these solutions can never be an alternative to the net greenhouse gas emission reductions that should be done. This report, in which climate engineering proposals are discussed, opens to discussion not only the economic and technological feasibility of the proposals, but also important points regarding their environmental and social impacts. In addition, the possibility of some climate engineering applications to cause irreversible negative consequences is among the reservations. The reservations about the solution proposals within the scope of climate engineering are not limited to these. It is also claimed that these technology-focused solution proposals further bind societies to “carbon bondage”. In other words, if climate engineering solution proposals, also called negative emission technologies, are implemented, the continuity of current carbon-oriented socioeconomic practices will be guaranteed and it will be difficult to bring alternative policies to the agenda. Especially in the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the insufficient level of greenhouse gas reduction rate required to find a solution to climate change, BECCS (bio-energy-based carbon capture storage), etc. may lead to assumptions such as the widespread use of technologies. It also leads to scattering of sulfur particles into the stratosphere, biological steps to increase carbon sequestration in the oceans, or science fiction ideas such as placing mirrors in the atmosphere.