We don’t see the sunshine enough in the UK, so when we do it’s a pretty big deal; something to be cherished. Why, then, has the UK government put millions of pounds into ‘dimming’ the sun? And what does that even actually mean?
First of all, don’t worry. Although the headline conjures images of a bunch of civil servants donning their spacesuits and taking hosepipes to the great ball of fire, in reality it’s a much more mundane process known scientifically as ‘Solar Radiation Modification’ (SRM). The main goal is to reduce overall global temperatures, which will in turn help global warming and slow down climate change. However, it’s proving controversial, even amongst scientists.
It’s also important to remember that this is all still theoretical, as no large-scale SRM schemes have been implemented yet, in the UK or abroad. With that said, here’s everything you need to know about SRM, including why ‘dimming the sun’ isn’t as terrifying as it sounds.
How are scientists planning to dim the sun?
The process is still in its experimental phase, and different researchers have developed different methods which they believe could lower the temperature on Earth by a couple of degrees.
The foremost method, and the one which the UK government is likely to try first, is Marine Cloud Brightening. This involves spraying a mist of natural sea water into the sky from a boat in an effort to make the clouds more reflective.
Another funded method, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, would send a weather balloon containing mineral dust into the atmosphere and monitor any reactions that occur – the dust would remain within the balloon the entire time.
The exact science behind these methods gets quite confusing if you’re not a meteorologist, but in simple terms, researchers are trying to mimic the atmospheric cooling that follows a volcanic eruption, without any of the dust, debris, or lava. Basically, their desired effect is nothing which hasn’t already happened to the planet naturally.
Is dimming the sun a good or bad thing?
There is a lot of disagreement amongst experts as to whether SRM is the answer to our problems. While some say this could help thicken Arctic ice caps and reduce some of the effects of climate change, others argue the process has potential, unintended consequences. For instance, some research indicates that SRM experiments in Africa could adversely impact climates in South America, including in the Amazon rainforest.
Other experts have voiced concern that this is simply distracting from the real issue: the continued pollution of our planet. Raymond Pierrehumbert, a professor of Planetary Physics at Oxford, explained to the BBC that ‘people want a Plan B if we don't reduce global emissions. But there really is no Plan B, it just kicks the can down the road’.
However, not everyone agrees: Professor Stuart Haszeldine, an expert in Carbon Capture, told Metro: ‘Humans are losing the battle against climate change. Engineering cooling is necessary because in spite of measurements and meetings and international treaties during the past 70 years, the annual emissions of greenhouse gases have continued to increase.’
Experts have also warned that a lack of regulation in the field puts SRM at risk of being commercialised, and that there needs to be more planning before these schemes can be implemented safely at a global scale.
Will dimming the sun make the UK colder?
The goal of SRM is to lower global temperatures, which would technically make the Earth cooler, but the difference would be negligible in terms of how warm it actually feels. We would still have sunny days, and cold ones, and just as many rainy ones unfortunately. Scientists debate how much SRM could alter climates, but this is more likely to be noticeable as increased or decreased rainfall than drastic differences in temperature.
In short: whilst in technical terms the planet would be colder on average, you won’t really feel the difference unless you are a polar bear.
Is the government ‘geoengineering’ the sky?
Understandably, a lot of people find the concept of meddling with the sun a bit worrisome, but some have taken their concern to the next level. Conspiracies about how the government has been ‘geoengineering’ our environment for years, such as by putting toxic chemicals in the vapour trails left behind planes, have been around for a long time, but amateur theorists are now claiming that this has all been part of a long-term scheme to dim the sun which is only now being admitted to. This is, obviously, false.
‘Geoengineering’ is another term which rings alarm bells for many, but it really just refers to any technology which might alter the climate in an effort to reduce or reverse the effects of climate change. It is not a conspiracy, nor has it been kept a secret – here’s an article from MIT explaining the technology from way back in 2019.
Speaking on why the 'chemtrail cover-up' conspiracy is untrue, a geophysical scientist from the University of Chicago explained to Euronews that ‘it would be impossible to conduct large-scale weather modification experiments in secret. It just can't be done’ adding ‘the amount of aircraft needed to fly this material to where it needs to go, and the radiative effect, would be easily obtainable by publicly available information’.
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