The planet was already at 1.26 degrees Celsius of warming last year and is on track to blow through 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next decade. In fact, research suggests current climate policies will pave the way for more than 2.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
Global heating on this scale is bound to devastate vulnerable communities and ecosystems across the globe. It’s time for the international population to consider something radically new that could stop the raging climate emergency in its tracks.
Should One Actually Dim The Sun?
Following powerful volcanic eruptions, temperatures dip on the planet for a few years. Major eruptions are known to create a hazy layer of microscopic particles that last for several years, dimming the sun temporarily. Can the same effect be copied to tackle the climate crisis?
Above all, should one dim the sun? Although this may sound unlikely, every engineering assessment to date has concluded it would be feasible and relatively cheap to do using a fleet of jets to release reflective particles into the upper atmosphere.
The sun warms up the Earth. But it is kept warm by greenhouse gases that trap the heat our planet gives off. The warming effect of carbon emissions could be countered by an artificial haze. We would only need to dim the sun by 1% to cool the earth by 1 degrees Celsius.
Side Effects Of Dimming The Sun
Dimming the sun isn’t expected to perfectly reverse climate change. But blocking some sunlight would help keep icy parts of the world frozen. Rising temperatures are driving up the global sea level as the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets continue to melt.
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But the approach would not deal with the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – the root of the climate problem. It would bring about some side effects as well. This hazy layer would make the sky a little whiter. We could also be adding to the acid rain problem.
