Lawmakers in at least 25 states have introduced legislation to ban a controversial climate intervention known as solar geoengineering.
The technology, which involves spraying reflective materials into the atmosphere to block sunlight, is unproven and risky. But some researchers argue that the practice deserves more scientific investigation, especially as global temperatures continue to rise.
A new spate of legislation threatens to kneecap those efforts before they even begin. And many of the bills are rooted in conspiracy theories based on bogus science or linked to far-right groups that challenge mainstream science, experts said Wednesday at a panel hosted by geoengineering knowledge nonprofit SRM360.
The bills’ supporters are “the same sort of folks who, generally speaking, are engaged in chemtrail and anti-vax discussions,” said Craig Segall, an environmental policy consultant and former deputy executive officer and assistant chief counsel of the California Air Resources Board. “So that’s the center of gravity for this at the moment.”
