The New York Times has reported on a proposal to combat global warming using a giant sunshade in outer space. This concept involves blocking a small portion of solar radiation to counter the effects of global warming. Scientists have determined that blocking just under 2% of the sun’s radiation could lower the planet’s temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius or 2.7 Fahrenheit, helping to maintain a manageable climate. This idea has been on the fringes of climate solutions discussions for some time, but as the climate crisis escalates, there is growing interest in sun shields, with various researchers proposing different approaches.
One study from the University of Utah explored the idea of scattering dust deep into space, while a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology considers creating a shield using “space bubbles.” Last summer, an astronomer at the University of Hawaii suggested attaching a large solar shield to a repurposed asteroid. Now, scientists led by Yoram Rozen from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology are ready to build a prototype sunshade to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept.
Rozen’s team has determined that the sunshade would need to cover approximately 1 million square miles, which is roughly the size of Argentina. However, such a large structure would be too heavy to launch into space, thus, the project would involve a series of smaller shades. These shades would not completely block the sun’s light, but rather create a slightly diffused shade over the Earth. Rozen’s team aims to design a prototype shade measuring 100 square feet and is seeking funding of between $10 million and $20 million to carry out the demonstration.
Although the full-scale version would come with a hefty price tag in the trillions, with the cost shared globally, Rozen estimates that it could lower the Earth’s temperature by 1.5 Celsius within two years. He stresses that their goal is not to single-handedly save the planet, but rather to demonstrate that such a solution is feasible.
