Abstract
Geoengineering methods are intended to reduce the magnitude of climate change, which is
already having demonstrable effects on ecosystem structure and functioning. Two different types
of activities have been proposed: solar radiation management (SRM), or sunlight reflection
methods, which involves reflecting a small percentage of solar light back into space to offset the
warming due to greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which includes a range of
engineered and biological processes to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This
report evaluates some of the possible impacts of CDR and SRM on the physical climate and their
subsequent influence on ecosystems, which include the risks and uncertainties associated with
new kinds of purposeful perturbations to the Earth. Therefore, the question considered in this
review is whether CDR and SRM methods would exacerbate or alleviate the deleterious impacts
on ecosystems associated with climate changes that might occur in the foreseeable future.Geoengineering methods are intended to reduce the magnitude of climate change, which is
already having demonstrable effects on ecosystem structure and functioning. Two different types
of activities have been proposed: solar radiation management (SRM), or sunlight reflection
methods, which involves reflecting a small percentage of solar light back into space to offset the
warming due to greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which includes a range of
engineered and biological processes to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This
report evaluates some of the possible impacts of CDR and SRM on the physical climate and their
subsequent influence on ecosystems, which include the risks and uncertainties associated with
new kinds of purposeful perturbations to the Earth. Therefore, the question considered in this
review is whether CDR and SRM methods would exacerbate or alleviate the deleterious impacts
on ecosystems associated with climate changes that might occur in the foreseeable future.
