Solar geoengineering is a proposed approach to address climate change by reflecting sunlight away from Earth. This concept has garnered increasing attention as a potential solution to mitigate global warming effects. However, with this growing interest come heightened concerns regarding the implications and risks associated with such interventions.
Recently, Stardust Solutions, a startup in this field, secured $60 million in funding, marking the largest investment for a geoengineering company to date. The emergence of such startups has sparked anxiety among some researchers about the broader consequences of pursuing geoengineering without thorough understanding and regulation.
Historically, discussions around solar geoengineering have been confined to academic debates and theoretical research. The activities of a few fringe actors have also been noted. However, the recent developments indicate a shift towards more substantial efforts in the realm of geoengineering, raising questions about what this means for the scientific community and climate action strategies.
The implications of advancing solar geoengineering technologies could be significant. What might these developments entail for our approach to climate change? As the interest in this area grows, continuous examination and discourse are essential to understand the potential environmental and societal impacts of deploying such technologies.
In addition to the recent funding news, a variety of perspectives on solar geoengineering continue to emerge, highlighting the need for informed decision-making and possibly more research, including outdoor experiments, to guide any future interventions effectively.
Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/11/1129288/the-download-solar-geoengineerings-future-and-openai-is-being-sued/