Startup Proposes Geoengineering Solution to Dim Sun and Combat Global Warming
By
mitchbob
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
The article discusses Stardust, an Israeli startup proposing a geoengineering solution to combat global warming by mimicking volcanic eruptions. The company plans to inject reflective particles into the stratosphere to scatter sunlight back into space, thereby cooling the planet. The approach is modeled on the cooling effect observed after major volcanic eruptions like Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, which temporarily lowered global temperatures. The article explores the scientific basis, business model, and ethical implications of this controversial approach to climate intervention.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledStardust is the name of a small startup with enormous ambitions. The company, which is based in Israel and registered in Delaware, proposes to do nothing less than dim the sun.
Its business plan is modelled on volcanoes. In a major eruption, millions of tons of sulfur dioxide get thrown up into the stratosphere.
There, the gas reacts to form droplets of sulfuric acid that scatter sunlight back to space. The result is that less energy reaches the Earth and the planet cools.
After Mt. Pinatubo, in the Philippines, blew its top, in 1991, average global temperatures dipped by almost one degree Fahrenheit.
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