Scientists Increasingly Calling to Dim the Sun

The idea of shooting billions of dollars' worth of particles into the sky to reduce the warming of the Sun has long been seen as a last resort.

According to The New Yorker, an increasing number of scientists are starting to seriously study the idea of messing with the entire system at once.

Last month, the White House announced a five-year research plan to study the idea of geoengineering, a sign that the idea has moved out of science fiction amidst a period of rapidly rising temperatures.

Humans are headed towards a catastrophe even with a complete halt on fossil fuels. The Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, was adopted by 196 countries.

Achieving that target has been difficult. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been insufficient to meet the goal by the end of the century according to a report.

More and more researchers are looking at the possibility of usinggeoengineering as a last resort.

Similar to particles released by a volcano, injecting aerosolized sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere could have the same effect.

There's a good chance that these particles will shade and cool the surface below, but we're only beginning to understand the possible side effects.

Extreme weather can start in unexpected places around the world. According to The New Yorker, an increase in local reservoirs could allow for the spread of diseases.

There's also the fact that one country's efforts could have dire political consequences.

According to Frank Biermann, a political scientist at Utrecht University, there is no governance system that could decide this. If there were conflicts, you would have to make decisions on duration, degree and degree of conflict.

It may not ever get off the ground as it would require everyone to sign off on it.

The one time scientists tried to try out the idea, they were shut down immediately by activist groups.

Despite the opposition, world leaders are getting desperate as they stare down the barrel of a climate catastrophe.

The former president of Kiribati said that "geoengineering as a possible solution to this catastrophe will definitely become the only option of last resort if we as a global community continue on the path we have been travelling."

It's not out of the question that we will have to resort to drastic measures in the future.

Dimming the sun to cool the planet is a desperate idea.

The White House is experimenting with spraying particles into the atmosphere to combat climate change.