The concept of 'dimming the sun' might seem like it belongs in a dystopian movie, but this scenario could become our reality before long.
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government
An advanced research agency known as the Advanced Research + Innovation Agency (ARIA) is providing £57 million for potential real-world experimentation.
However, what is causing the reduction in sunlight and what is the purpose behind it?
Let's examine this next.
What does 'dimming the sun' mean and what is its purpose?
Reducing sunlight, referred to scientifically as Solar Radiation Modification (SRM), involves bouncing solar radiation back into space.
A number of researchers anticipate this could briefly curb the increase in Earth's temperature.
A possible method to achieve this is by releasing a delicate spray of natural seawater into the air from a seaside area in the UK.
They aim to enhance the brightness of current low clouds and boost their reflectiveness with this approach.
An alternative method could involve launching a weather balloon into the upper atmosphere to observe its behavior under those conditions. This approach wouldn’t release any particles.
Aeroplanes might alternatively be employed to disperse minuscule particles that would bounce solar radiation back towards space.
Another approach could involve increasing the thickness of Arctic sea ice to enhance the reflectivity of low-lying clouds.
What do researchers have to say regarding this topic?
Professor Stuart Haszeldine, who holds the position of Professor of Carbon Capture and Storage at the University of Edinburgh, has expressed his approval of the new study.
He stated: "We are losing the fight against climate change. We need technological solutions for cooling since despite seven decades of data collection, global summits, and multinational agreements, yearly discharges of greenhouse gases keep rising."
‘The world is heading towards heating greater than any time in our civilisation.
'Many natural processes are approaching a critical threshold, beyond which the Earth might shift into a new mode of operation.'
The primary purpose of initiatives like this is due to the reality that our planet is becoming warmer.
In 2024, the worldwide average temperatures stood at 1.6°C higher than they were before industrial times began.
By the close of the 2030s, this scenario becomes even more dire, as present trends indicate that global temperatures will exceed the 1.5°C threshold for long-term warming.
What is the criticism?
However, critics are concerned about how this might affect human well-being and our climate patterns, including the heating up of polar areas and more frequent heavy rainfalls.
The ARIA has stated that 'prior to conducting any outdoor experiments, there will be comprehensive and open public consultations along with all required environmental evaluations being completed'.
And all outdoor experiments will happen only after strict oversight measures that definitely won’t involve releasing any harmful substances.
Groups such as Greenpeace have stated that geoengineering poses a risky diversion from genuine efforts to address climate change.
Raymond Pierrehumbert, a professor of planetary physics at Oxford University, expressed his concerns about this issue. He stated, "There’s a desire for a backup plan if we fail to cut global emissions. However, such an alternative does not truly exist since solar engineering merely postpones the problem without removing CO2 from the atmosphere."
'With the UK now investing £56.8 million into this and welcoming external experiments, it will likely encourage other nations with less stringent regulations to follow suit.'
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