Polar geoengineering ideas may cause irreparable harm, study says

“But none of the most high-profile ideas are viable — worse, they may cause irreparable harm, according to a new study published Tuesday.” That is the core finding highlighted by CNN from a sweeping expert assessment of polar geoengineering. The review looks past the hype around quick technical fixes and finds that headline proposals to shield or refreeze the poles would not meaningfully slow sea-level rise or stabilize ice sheets in the coming decades. Researchers warn the schemes demand colossal engineering at extreme latitudes, carry uncertain ecological and diplomatic risks and risk distracting governments from the one lever that works at scale: cutting emissions fast.

• What was assessed: stratospheric aerosol injection; underwater sea curtains; sea-ice management like thickening or reflective beads; basal water removal; and ocean fertilization.
• Little to no real-world testing with most concepts relying on modelling and small trials that don’t justify deployment.
• Costs: each concept would require at least $10 billion to set up and maintain; one estimate puts an 80-km sea curtain at about $80 billion over 10 years.
• Will likely cause ecological damage and complex governance that could distract from decarbonization.
• Contributors span more than 30 institutions with broad consensus on near-term infeasibility.