Private startups are increasingly venturing into solar geoengineering—efforts to cool the planet through artificial means—and two new reports highlight growing unease about where this trend may lead. The Washington Post spotlights Make Sunsets, a company inviting the public to invest $1 in its plan to launch balloons that release carbon dioxide into the stratosphere. It also examines Stardust, a much larger startup that has already secured more than $75 million in funding and aims to debut its own approach within a few years. Both the Post and a separate analysis at Just Security raise concerns about private companies moving ahead in an area where government oversight is minimal.
Supporters argue that private-sector speed is an advantage, noting that universities and government programs often pull back from field tests when faced with public criticism. “They stop. They give up,” venture capitalist and Stardust backer Maex Ament tells the Post. But critics fear that these companies may unintentionally alter weather patterns or unleash other serious consequences. Shuchi Talati, founder of the nonprofit Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, warns that the tech sector’s “move fast and break things” mindset is ill-suited to decisions that may affect the entire planet.
Solar Radiation Modification—long regarded as a speculative, almost sci-fi response to climate change—has been gaining traction as climate reports grow more urgent and international agreements such as the Paris Accord face increasing strain, according to Just Security. After examining the landscape, the publication concludes:
“Now is the time to effectively regulate this new industry—one that just might have a decisive impact on the world’s ability to combat climate change. Without regulation, the dangers of SRM become magnified and the security risks more unchecked.”
original source
