I think it's really awesome you're doing this, Gideon.
At the moment, there's something of a lack of critical reflective commentary by researchers in the field on how their views have changed over time in light of changing evidence and new or more developed arguments from various areas, so discussing the tension you describe and how that might relate to the downstream effects of SRM research is definitely valuable. I commend your intellectual honesty around the topic!
Particularly on the topic of existential & global catastrophic risk and how SRM may or may not have the potential to reduce it, there's a massive need for more thinking and discussion on that. Kudos!