Beyond Net Zero: Can We Repair The Climate?

Climate change arises from a fundamental imbalance in the Earth’s energy budget. While renewable energy technologies are essential for reducing emissions, the slow response of the climate system has led to growing interest in approaches that directly influence how energy is absorbed and reflected by the planet. This talk introduces the concept of climate repair, including methods such as marine cloud brightening, sea ice thickening, and stratospheric aerosol injection. It will explore how these approaches may complement existing climate strategies, alongside the key challenges and uncertainties that remain.

Dr Luke Haworth is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Engineering as part of the Centre for Climate Repair, working under the supervision of Professor Hugh Hunt and Professor Shaun Fitzgerald.

The focus of his work is Novel Materials for Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, specifically investigating the methods, mechanisms and feasibility of a pumping system to introduce particles into the atmosphere. His research will be primarily experimental in mechanical engineering and physics taking inspiration from other industries with a potential modelling element.

He obtained an Integrated Masters in Physics from Northumbria University specialising in droplet impact dynamics in 2020. He then completed a PhD in Physics under the supervision of Professor Richard Fu in the Renewable Energies NorthEast Universities (ReNU) CDT in 2024 focusing on hybrid methods for anti-icing and de-icing of wind turbines using passive hydrophobic coatings and active surface acoustic waves (SAW). He then completed a 14 month post-doctoral project in Physics at ESPCI – PSL under the supervision of Dr Jean Comtet focusing on single molecule dynamics of polymer melts through super-resolution fluorescent microscopy.

Refreshments will be available from 30 minutes before the advertised start time.

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