Corbett, Charles R. (2021): “Extraordinary” and “Highly Controversial”: Federal Research of Solar Geoengineering Under NEPA
Corbett, Charles R. (2021): “Extraordinary” and “Highly Controversial”: Federal Research of Solar Geoengineering Under NEPA. In Nw. U. L. Rev. Online 115 (240). Available online at https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1307[&]context=nulr_online[&]fbclid=IwAR0kQGReczRbpsuRrn1WgZnh5QI2QwEsULw5irDYt1fBz-cCKoN6vtMY-as.
„Congress recently instructed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to investigate stratospheric aerosols, materials that could be injected in the atmosphere as a means of solar climate intervention. This action has been widely interpreted as the first-ever federal research project into solar geoengineering—proposals to slightly “dim the sun” to limit the harms of climate change. This Essay argues that NOAA should use its discretion to conduct a programmatic environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as an initial step in governing this research program.“