Geoengineering—the deliberate modification of our planet to counteract global warming—has long been controversial. For decades, the scientific study of such interventions stalled. More recently, however, as the consequences of the climate crisis become increasingly frequent and severe, attitudes have shifted. Interventions that were once seen as too risky to investigate even on a provisional basis are now viewed as potentially necessary complements to reduced emissions.
Few research groups have made as much real-world progress in studying the feasibility and risks of geoengineering as the one led by Daniel Harrison, an oceanographer at Southern Cross University in Australia. His team focuses on a process known as marine-cloud brightening. By spraying plumes of tiny sea salt particles into low-lying ocean clouds, they can significantly increase the reflectivity of those clouds, which in turn cools the water beneath them. They are currently conducting a series of field tests to determine whether cloud brightening can safely and economically cool the ocean enough to mitigate coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, delaying and ideally preventing the imminent extinction of this vital ecosystem.
In this project, New York Times Magazine contributing writer Ferris Jabr joins Harrison and his colleagues on a research expedition to observe their technology in action. In a longform feature, he uses this research as a lens to explore the promise and perils of a possible near future of localized climate interventions.
Caption: Image by Adam Ferguson/The New York Times. Australia.
