Geoengineering Risks Revealed: Potential for Hurricanes and Droughts

As of November 5th, 2025, a new report from the UK's Royal Society has revealed the potential risks and unintended consequences of solar geoengineering efforts to combat climate change. The report warns that if such technology is deployed by a "rogue actor" in only certain regions, it could have severe consequences, including increasing the intensity of North Atlantic hurricanes, causing droughts in parts of Africa, and leading to the dieback of the Amazon rainforest.

However, the report also states that if solar geoengineering is used globally and in a coordinated way for an extended period, it could effectively lower global temperatures. The experts acknowledge that while the logistics of a large-scale geoengineering effort would be daunting, the cost would be relatively small compared to the trillions needed for climate action.

The researchers emphasize that geoengineering only masks the symptoms of the climate crisis and does not address the root cause - the burning of fossil fuels. They caution that if geoengineering efforts were to be halted abruptly without emissions reductions, there could be a "termination shock" of rapidly rising temperatures with severe effects on people and ecosystems.