Researchers from the Planetary Sunshade Foundation have proposed creating a “sunshade” to combat so-called climate change.
The idea is rooted in experimental research from the 1970s, where physicist Gerard O’Neill argued that solar-powered satellites could power Earth with energy.
Research Director for Planetary Sunshade Foundation Research, Lex Scott, announced in a 2022 report that the plan is a “technically feasible and economically sound plan.”
Morgan Goodwin, the Executive Director of the Planetary Sunshade Foundation, told Space.com, “To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the world should rapidly phase out the use of fossil fuels, remove gigatons of carbon from the atmosphere, and limit the incoming solar radiation,” adding that the “sunshade has many advantages deserving of investment in the concept.”
“Our survival as a civilization depends on our ability to wisely and intentionally change how we interact with our planet,” Goodwin added.
American Faith reported that the Biden administration provided a report to Congress explaining an “initial research governance framework related to solar radiation modification (SRM)” following a directive to research “solar and other rapid climate interventions.”
The report details how the government can limit the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth’s surface as a means of cooling the planet.
“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,” the report states.
