The White House has opened the door to an audacious plan to block sunlight from hitting the surface of the Earth in a bid to halt global warming.
Despite some scientists warning the effort could have untold side effects from altering the chemical makeup of the atmosphere, President Joe Biden‘s administration have admitted they’re open to the idea, which has never been attempted before.
In a report released Friday by the White House, officials suggested limiting sunlight to rapidly cool the planet, a process known as solar radiation modification (SRM).
The report noted several ways authorities could look to achieve SRM, all of which come with potentially devastating consequences if they backfire.
One method would be to significantly increase the amount of aerosols in the stratosphere, which would reflect the sun’s rays from the planet.
Other ideas floated included increasing cloud coverage over oceans, or reducing the amount of cirrus cloud formations, which reflect solar radiation back to the Earth.
The report noted that undertaking the mammoth task could have severe ramifications weather patterns and food supplies, which would in turn impact biodiversity, geopolitics, and health.
It also suggested that committing to the idea then backtracking and changing course could lead to abrupt warming as the suns rays suddenly heat the Earth once more.
While insisting that it was not definitively moving ahead with the plan, the Biden administration insisted in its report that the idea appeared promising.
It said a ‘program of research’ into the practice would ‘enable better-informed decisions about the potential risks and benefits’ of blocking the sun.
The White House added that exploring the idea would also allow a better understanding of ‘the foundational elements of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and adaptation.’
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