Geoengineering: From 1965 White House Proposal to Mainstream Climate Solution
By
Atmos
1d ago· 7 min readenNews
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Summary
The article traces the history of geoengineering from a 1965 White House advisory to President Johnson, through Exxon's internal climate warnings, to present-day companies like Make Sunsets attempting to commercialize solar radiation management. It explores the evolution of geoengineering from a fringe concept to a more mainstream climate solution, while raising ethical and safety questions about deliberately blocking the sun's rays to cool the planet.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledA decade before Exxon's scientists warned the company's executives about the likely fallout of burning fossil fuels, White House scientists were already advising then-president Lyndon B. Johnson on a theoretical technology that might curb the impacts of global warming: geoengineering.
Johnson's Science Advisory Committee used a 1965 report to raise the potential for geoengineering the atmosphere by spraying reflective particles over the oceans or modifying cirrus clouds.
One company says it can block the sun's rays to cool the planet. But should it?
Volcanic activity inspired the concept of solar engineering. One company says it can block the sun’s rays to cool the planet. But should it?
