What would happen to coffee and cocoa if humans deliberately tried to cool the planet? Atmospheric scientist Dr. Nina Grant joins Green Frequency to explain stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI, a proposed form of solar geoengineering that would introduce reflective particles into the upper atmosphere.
Drawing on climate and crop modeling for cocoa in Ghana and coffee in Brazil, Nina explains why lowering global temperatures may not be enough. In her modeled scenarios, SAI softened projected losses but did not return either crop to present-day yields. The conversation opens the black box of climate models, explores the importance of rainfall and agricultural management, and reveals how one planetary intervention could produce very different outcomes around the world.
It also confronts the much larger questions surrounding ozone loss, termination shock, climate justice, and governance. SAI would not remove carbon dioxide or replace phasing out fossil fuels. But as scientific and political interest grows, understanding what it could change, whom it might help, and who gets to decide is becoming a public question.
Episode Guest: Dr. Nina Grant
Read Dr. Grant’s dissertation and watch a short video explainer
Review Dr. Grant’s other publication on Google Scholar
Connect with Dr. Grant on LinkedIn or visit Dr. Grant’s website
Learn more about SAI at solargeo.org
Green Frequency Ep. 1: Climate change | Where are we now?
5 episode of Oceanography on marine climate intervention:
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Cover Art by Laurel Wong
Theme music by Nela Ruiz
Find some more Pine Forest Media podcasts below
Listen to Oceanography on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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Listen to Something in the Water on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
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