Solar radiation management is a form of climate intervention that might be used at various scales to increase the planet’s albedo and thereby reduce temperature increase. Prominent proposals include marine cloud brightening and using marine based reflective agents to lessen coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Governance of research, testing and implementation of climate intervention at domestic and international levels are at a very early stage. However, over the past sixty years Australia and the United States have used law to govern weather modification activities, such as cloud seeding, aimed at increasing regional or local rainfall patterns. This PhD project will analyse the history of weather modification law in Australia and the United States to identify what lessons might be drawn for the governance, public participation and social acceptability of proposals for regional climate intervention.
