Climate Policy News

Private startup outs a plan to shade the planet with silica aerosols

A private startup, Stardust Solutions, publicly details its plan to cool the Earth by dispersing sunlight-reflecting amorphous silica particles high in the atmosphere, sharing six studies ahead of peer review. The company envisions two particle designs and systems to disperse and monitor them, aiming for possible deployment by 2035 with projected revenue around $1.5 billion, after raising about $75 million. While framed as a scientifically rigorous approach, critics warn that solar geoengineering does not address fossil-fuel driving warming and raise concerns about self-governance and international oversight as the technology moves toward potential use.