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Some people, including scientists and very rich folks, are thinking about ways to block the sun. Sounds like a sci-fi movie, right? But it’s real! They want to do this because of global warming.
So, what’s the plan here? Well, some tech whizzes and investors from Silicon Valley are considering spraying shiny particles into the sky or making clouds brighter. The aim is to cool down Earth quickly. A couple of startups are already on it, either testing this wild tech or betting that governments will eventually give it a shot. With the planet heating up more than ever and pollution not slowing down, they argue that dimming the sun could be a cheap fix.
Andrew Lockley, a researcher in geoengineering, says it only takes one person with a lot of money and a jet to kick things off: “History will judge whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
But hold on! What could go wrong with this solar dimming plan? Quite a bit, actually. This method, called solar radiation management (SRM), might mess with rainfall patterns or harm the ozone layer. And why is that bad? Well, it could lead to issues like malaria outbreaks, crop failures, geopolitical chaos, and more. Plus, blocking the sun doesn’t really solve climate change.
Has anyone tried it yet? Sort of. Luke Iseman launched a company called Make Sunsets after getting inspired by a book about shooting particles into the sky to reflect sunlight. Big names like Bill Gates and Sam Altman are backing SRM research with millions of dollars. Most efforts focus on planes spraying sulfur dioxide high up in the atmosphere.
Make Sunsets is even selling “cooling credits,” similar to carbon offsets. But it’s tricky to tell if their balloons filled with sulfates make any difference in cooling our planet.
Neal Stephenson, who wrote the book Termination Shock which inspired Iseman, isn’t thrilled about these ideas being used as blueprints for solving global warming. He warns that his story isn’t about SRM saving the day.
