top of page
The Termination Problem: Why Starting Solar Geoengineering Might Mean We Can Never Stop

Solar Radiation Management's termination problem presents unprecedented governance challenge wherein discontinuing deployment triggers rapid rebound warming of 0.3-0.5°C per decade, approximately 10 times faster than current climate change. Mount Pinatubo's 1991 eruption demonstrates natural precedent for rapid temperature rebound, while paleoclimate records document ecosystem vulnerability to rapid climate transitions. Termination problem's lock-in effects create intergenerational burden transfer, requiring indefinite international cooperation & institutional stability spanning centuries, potentially exceeding original climate crisis impacts.

Previous
Next
bottom of page