Scientists Warn Polar Geoengineering Proposals Pose High Costs, Environmental Risks

A coalition of over 40 scientists, including experts from the University of Exeter and Durham University, has strongly criticized five prominent geoengineering proposals aimed at mitigating climate change impacts in the Arctic and Antarctic. These proposals, such as stratospheric aerosol injections, sea curtains, sea ice management, basal water removal, and ocean fertilization, are deemed highly risky, unimaginably expensive, and likely to cause irreversible damage to fragile polar ecosystems and international relations. The scientists argue that these geoengineering schemes only address symptoms rather than the root cause of the climate crisis—ongoing fossil fuel emissions—and that pursuing them diverts critical resources and attention from proven emissions reductions strategies. They also warn that some geoengineering ideas could exacerbate environmental problems, disrupt marine habitats, and introduce legal and political challenges, while being ineffective or unfeasible given polar conditions like extended winter darkness. The consensus underlines the importance of focusing efforts on rapid and deep greenhouse gas emission cuts to restore climate health, as relying on geoengineering as an emergency fix is both dangerous and unrealistic. This unified expert assessment highlights that geoengineering in polar regions is not a viable solution and risks undermining global climate goals, including reaching net zero by 2050.