Get ready for the world of science fiction to become part of your everyday reality once again.
The June 30th report issued by the White House is now supporting the idea of blocking out the sun as a way of limiting global warming. Known best as “solar radiation modification” this is widely considered to be one of the most effective ways of combating global warming, but it is also highly controversial.
With the unknown chemical makeup of the atmosphere, experts say that this could set the planet on a course we might never recover from.
“A program of research into the scientific and societal implications of solar radiation modification (SRM) would enable better-informed decisions about the potential risks and benefits of SRM as a component of climate policy, alongside the foundational elements of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and adaptation. SRM offers the possibility of cooling the planet significantly on a timescale of a few years,” said the White House Report.
While there are no plans to implement SRM immediately, the fact that this is even being considered should alarm most Americans. While many scientists the world over think that this is an amazing idea, there were also scientists the world over who thought a vaccine was the answer for COVID, or that believed masks were the savior for the world.
In this instance, the science just isn’t in yet, and unlike the COVID masks, SRM could seriously destroy our planet incredibly quickly. The ideas of reflecting the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere or reducing the number of high-flying cirrus clouds that reflect solar radiation to Earth are insane.
Unlike some of his other pie-in-the-sky ideas, this can’t be tested in small samples, and data analyzed. Instead, this is something that could have massive real-world implications, and this isn’t the solution we as a nation need.
Maybe he could try working with what we have now, and not going down another Al Gore inspire rabbit hole?
