Sulfate cooling the Earth is cheap, doable, and coming soon
9 hours ago
- Extreme heat from climate change is causing fatalities and discomfort, making sulfate cooling a potential solution.
- Sulfate cooling works by injecting sulfate particles into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight, reducing global temperatures.
- The math shows that cooling Earth back to 1980 temperatures is feasible with current tech, costing ~$20B/year plus startup costs.
- A single country with advanced planes could achieve tropical cooling for ~$5B/year, posing risks of unilateral action.
- Risks include acid rain, ozone depletion, precipitation changes, and stratospheric heating, but empirical evidence (e.g., Pinatubo eruption) supports viability.
- The author argues sulfate cooling is doable and likely to be pursued soon, despite criticism of ignoring root causes.