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What is Geoengineering? - UPSC Environment And Ecology
What is What is Geoengineering? in UPSC Environment And Ecology?
What is Geoengineering? is a key topic under Environment And Ecology for UPSC Civil Services Examination. Key points include: Geoengineering involves large-scale interventions to alter Earth's climate.. It has two main categories: Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR).. SRM aims to reflect sunlight, inspired by volcanic eruptions like Mount Pinatubo.. Understanding this topic is essential for both UPSC Prelims and Mains preparation.
Why is What is Geoengineering? important for UPSC exam?
What is Geoengineering? is a Medium-level topic in UPSC Environment And Ecology. It is tested in both Prelims (factual MCQs) and Mains (analytical answer writing). Previous year UPSC questions have frequently covered aspects of What is Geoengineering?, making it essential for comprehensive IAS preparation.
How to prepare What is Geoengineering? for UPSC?
To prepare What is Geoengineering? for UPSC: (1) Study the comprehensive notes covering all key concepts on Vaidra. (2) Practice previous year questions on this topic. (3) Connect it with current affairs using daily updates. (4) Revise using key takeaways and mind maps available for Environment And Ecology. (5) Write practice answers linking What is Geoengineering? to related GS Paper topics.
Key takeaways of What is Geoengineering? for UPSC
- Geoengineering involves large-scale interventions to alter Earth's climate.
- It has two main categories: Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR).
- SRM aims to reflect sunlight, inspired by volcanic eruptions like Mount Pinatubo.
- CDR focuses on removing atmospheric CO2, using techniques like CCS, DAC, and CCUS.
- DAC can address historical emissions but faces significant challenges.
- Geoengineering is a complementary, not replacement, strategy for emissions reduction.
What is Geoengineering?
Medium⏱️ 7 min read
environment and ecology
📖 Introduction
Understanding Geoengineering: Large-Scale Climate Intervention
Geoengineering refers to large-scale interventions designed to deliberately alter the Earth’s climate system. The primary goal is to counteract the adverse effects of global warming.
More specifically, it often focuses on managing solar radiation or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Classification of Geoengineering Approaches
Geoengineering primarily involves two distinct approaches, each targeting different aspects of the climate system:
- Solar Radiation Management (SRM)
- Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
Solar Radiation Management (SRM)
SRM techniques aim to reflect a small percentage of the sun's rays back into space, thereby reducing the amount of solar energy absorbed by Earth.
Mechanism: SRM involves deploying materials or altering atmospheric properties to increase the Earth's albedo (reflectivity).
Inspiration: This method draws inspiration from natural phenomena, such as large volcanic eruptions, which release aerosols into the stratosphere, temporarily cooling the planet.
A notable example is the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which reportedly reduced Earth's average temperature by approximately 0.5°C that year.
Key Point: SRM is considered a rapid-acting approach but does not address the root cause of climate change, which is increased greenhouse gas concentrations.
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
CDR techniques focus on actively removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and storing it away for long periods. The aim is to reduce the overall concentration of this primary greenhouse gas.
Objective: CDR methods are designed for the long-term reduction of atmospheric CO2 levels, directly tackling the cause of global warming.
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)
CCS is currently the most practiced CDR method. It involves capturing CO2 emissions from large industrial sources and preventing them from entering the atmosphere.
Process: CO2 is captured from industrial exhaust streams (e.g., power plants, cement factories) and then transported for storage deep underground in suitable geological formations.
This process effectively reduces direct industrial CO2 emissions.
Direct Air Capture (DAC)
DAC is a technology that extracts CO2 directly from ambient air, rather than from a concentrated emission source.
Mechanism: Large devices, sometimes referred to as "artificial trees," are used to chemically filter CO2 from the air. The captured CO2 can then be stored or utilized.
Potential and Challenges: DAC holds significant potential as it can address historical CO2 emissions already in the atmosphere. However, it faces more substantial technological and economic challenges compared to CCS.
Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)
CCUS is an integrated approach that goes beyond just storage. It involves capturing CO2, then either utilizing it in various industrial processes or storing it permanently.
Utilization: Some captured CO2 is repurposed for applications like enhanced oil recovery, production of fuels, or manufacturing of building materials. The remainder is stored permanently.
💡 Key Takeaways
- •Geoengineering involves large-scale interventions to alter Earth's climate.
- •It has two main categories: Solar Radiation Management (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR).
- •SRM aims to reflect sunlight, inspired by volcanic eruptions like Mount Pinatubo.
- •CDR focuses on removing atmospheric CO2, using techniques like CCS, DAC, and CCUS.
- •DAC can address historical emissions but faces significant challenges.
- •Geoengineering is a complementary, not replacement, strategy for emissions reduction.
🧠 Memory Techniques
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