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CNN's China to expand weather modification program to cover area larger than India ends with the following sentence:

"While China has not yet shown signs of 'unilaterally' deploying geoengineering projects on the ground, the scale of its weather modification and other massive engineering projects, including mega-dam projects (such as the Three Gorges), suggests China is willing to deploy large-scale geoengineering schemes to tackle the impacts of climate change and achieve its Paris targets."

and the scope of my question is limited to the Earth Science aspects of geoengineering projects that could "..tackle the impacts of climate change and achieve... Paris (agreement) targets".

To my knowledge the Paris Agreement primarily focuses on the reduction of greenhouse gas emission itself, so I would think that geoengineering solutions might involve removing gases already emitted in the form of new biomass or as gas in geological sequestration sites, or by producing energy with a technology having a lower greenhouse emission rate.

  1. Is that so? If so, what are specific examples?
  2. Since the same article discusses both cloud seeding for precipitation induction and the dispersal of reflective particles to reduce global warming earlier, could there be some atmospheric dispersal technology that could help a country "...achieve its Paris targets"?
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  • $\begingroup$ If there are any issues with the question please take a moment and leave a comment, thanks!* $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Dec 6, 2020 at 6:39
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    $\begingroup$ I think the third paragraph of the article hints at what might be the thinking: rain will absorb some CO2 by creating small amount of carbonic acid (H2CO3). Agricultural production would remove some CO2. Reduction of CO2 production via the possible prevention of grass & forest fires. This would also be aided by the supposed reduction of temperatures and droughts. With sufficient rain to ensure the Three Gorges Dam is always full, potentially consistently reliable hydroelectricity could be achieved , thus reducing the amount of CO2 producing energy sources used for energy production. $\endgroup$
    – Fred
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 2:13
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    $\begingroup$ @Fred interesting! Please consider quoting the paragraph and include a short explanation as an answer post. $\endgroup$
    – uhoh
    Commented Dec 8, 2020 at 2:18

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I think the third paragraph of the article hints at what might be the thinking.

In the next five years, the total area covered by artificial rain or snowfall will reach 5.5 million sq km, while over 580,000 sq km (224,000 sq miles) will be covered by hail suppression technologies. The statement added that the program will help with disaster relief, agricultural production, emergency responses to forest and grassland fires, and dealing with unusually high temperatures or droughts.

Firstly, rain will absorb some CO2 by creating small amounts of carbonic acid (H2CO3). Agricultural production would remove some CO2. Reduction of CO2 production via the possible prevention of grass & forest fires. This would also be aided by the supposed reduction of temperatures and droughts. With sufficient rain to ensure the Three Gorges Dam is always full, potentially consistently reliable hydroelectricity could be achieved, thus reducing the amount of CO2 producing energy sources used for energy production.

Finally, hail suppression technologies were mentioned. By eliminating hail one eliminates the potential for damaging hail to occur thus reducing the need to manufacture building products to repair buildings damaged by hail. It also prevents crop damage by hail thus eliminating the need to plant replacement crops.

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