Cooling the Earth again after it has overheated? 'That is a fantasy'
Climate negotiators at a summit in Antalya are debating the concept of overshoot, where global temperatures temporarily exceed safety limits before being brought back down through large-scale CO2 removal. However, scientists warn that this relies on unproven, speculative technology and emphasize that the environmental damage from exceeding 1.5 degrees would be largely irreversible.
Delegates at the climate summit in Antalya are debating the concept of overshoot, which suggests global temperatures could temporarily exceed the 1.5-degree limit before being brought back down. This strategy relies heavily on theoretical scenarios where massive amounts of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere using future technologies. However, many climate scientists warn that these scenarios are based on wishful thinking rather than proven science. Experts argue there is no evidence that large-scale CO2 removal is achievable at the necessary speed or volume.
Scientists caution that even if global temperatures could theoretically be lowered, the environmental damage caused by exceeding 1.5 degrees would be largely irreversible. Rising sea levels and the loss of biodiversity cannot simply be undone, leading experts to call for more realistic climate planning. Rather than relying on unproven removal methods, some researchers propose that urgent action to reduce methane emissions and curb fossil fuel use is the only viable path to mitigating the most severe consequences of global warming.
Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
