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Pictured left: The albedo of several types of roofs.
Solar radiation modification (SRM) (or solar geoengineering) is a group of large-scale approaches to reduce global warming by increasing the amount of sunlight that is reflected away from Earth and back to space. It is not intended to replace efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but rather to complement them as a potential way to limit global warming. SRM is a form of geoengineering.
The most-researched SRM method is stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), in which small reflective particles would be introduced into the upper atmosphere to reflect sunlight. Other approaches include marine cloud brightening (MCB), which would increase the reflectivity of clouds over the oceans, or constructing a space sunshade or a space mirror, to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching earth.
Climate models have consistently shown that SRM could reduce global warming and many effects of climate change, including some potential climate tipping points. However, its effects would vary by region and season, and the resulting climate would differ from one that had not experienced warming. Scientific understanding of these regional effects, including potential environmental risks and side effects, remains limited. (Full article...) (Full article...)