To date, the efforts to prevent global climate change have been focused on attempting to curb the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels.

However, based on the fact that, according to the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Centre, per capita CO₂ output has been trending steadily higher since 1999 and now stands at a record high, these efforts have not been successful.

What is particularly disturbing is that over the past 10 years, two countries outside the Kyoto protocol, China and India, have accounted for 50% of the increase in CO₂ emissions.

Both of these countries continue to oppose any measure that would alter the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and make underdeveloped countries financially responsible for cutting their own CO₂emissions.

Given that it is virtually impossible for developed countries to cut their CO₂ output enough to offset increased greenhouse gas production in underdeveloped countries, it is worth considering alternative approaches to offset global warming.

A recent research paper authored by Eric Bickel and Lee Lane makes a very strong argument for increasing spending on climate engineering in order to more efficiently reduce the adverse impact of global warming.

This approach takes into account the fact that while governments have spent billions attempting to reduce global warming by cutting carbon emissions, their efforts have yet to have a perceptible impact on the world’s climate.

Bickel and Lane suggest using far less costly but more technologically-sophisticated approaches to cool the globe – solar radiation management, for example.

Reflecting solar energy back into space could, if properly executed, offset as much warming as that caused by doubling pre-industrial greenhouse gas levels.

Also, by spraying sea water into marine clouds, they become more reflective and bounce solar energy back into space.

If one solution to a problem is ineffective, it behooves us to carefully investigate others, particularly if they are much less expensive.