Secret Science Mission Aims to Dim Sunlight in Bold Experiment

In the realm of innovative climate intervention strategies (cough), a unique project has emerged from an unexpected platform—the USS Hornet, a retired aircraft carrier now at the forefront of pioneering atmospheric research. This initiative, dubbed the Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement (CAARE) project and led by the University of Washington, aims to tackle the daunting challenge of global warming through a method known as Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB). The team, leveraging the Hornet’s expansive deck, recently initiated a series of particle emissions into the atmosphere above the San Francisco Bay, intending to reflect sunlight away from the Earth.

A conceptualized image of an unmanned, wind-powered, remotely controlled ship that could be used to implement cloud brightening.

The endeavor is shrouded in a bit of mystery, as the researchers chose to proceed without publicizing their experiment, likely due to anticipated public scrutiny and the potential for significant backlash. This caution stems from the broader debate surrounding solar radiation management (SRM) techniques, including MCB, which remains a contentious topic within the scientific community and the public at large. Hundreds of scientists have previously voiced concerns through an open letter, calling for restraint in deploying SRM strategies due to the unpredictable and possibly uneven impacts across different regions, including potential alterations to weather patterns, agriculture, and basic necessities like food and water.

Despite these concerns, the CAARE project’s pursuit is underpinned by the understanding that aerosols, particularly those resulting from human activities like fossil fuel combustion, have a net cooling effect on the planet. These particles mix with low-altitude clouds, enhancing their reflective capacity and thus partially offsetting the warming effect of greenhouse gases. This dual nature of atmospheric aerosols—both a pollutant and an inadvertent climate regulator—has led some researchers to explore the deliberate augmentation of this cooling effect as a means to combat global warming.

The University of Washington’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences, spearheading the CAARE project, has developed a specialized instrument for this purpose. Dubbed the Cloud-Aerosol Research Instrument (CARI), this device is capable of discharging trillions of salt particles into the atmosphere, akin to a sophisticated snow maker. These particles, once airborne, contribute to the brightening of marine clouds by increasing their reflectivity. Preliminary simulations suggest that enhancing the albedo of just 15% of the Earth’s marine clouds could potentially cool the planet by approximately one degree Celsius, a significant figure in the context of global climate targets.

However, this experimental approach is not without its skeptics. Critics argue that marine cloud brightening, along with other forms of solar radiation modification, may fail to substantially lower global temperatures and could inadvertently disrupt precipitation patterns on a regional and global scale. Studies have suggested that such interventions could lead to unintended consequences, including droughts, hurricanes, and storms in various parts of the world. This has led to a call for a more nuanced understanding of the interactions between aerosols, weather conditions, and cloud dynamics.

US President Joe Biden after signing into law H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in the State Dining Room of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Getty/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Amidst growing alarm over record-breaking temperatures and climate extremes, the quest for alternative solutions has intensified, pushing the boundaries of conventional climate policy and research. Yet, the federal response to such experimental approaches has been cautious. The Biden administration, despite providing funding for the scientific assessment of rapid climate interventions through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, has distanced itself from the CAARE experiment and similar initiatives, emphasizing a lack of government involvement in these SRM experiments.

This complex landscape of climate intervention research underscores a critical juncture in our collective response to global warming. As scientists and policymakers navigate the ethical, ecological, and geopolitical ramifications of such technologies, the debate over the feasibility and desirability of geoengineering solutions like marine cloud brightening continues to evolve. The CAARE project, from its historic launch site aboard the USS Hornet to its ambitious goals, represents just one facet of this multifaceted and deeply consequential discourse.

24 thoughts on “Secret Science Mission Aims to Dim Sunlight in Bold Experiment

  1. Isn’t reflect sunlight counter productive to solar voltaic energy? These people do not have the intelligence with which they were born.

  2. They have always claimed that CO2 is the culprit. Blocking the sun is a horrible idea. BTW: CO2 is NOT the big boogey man it has been made out to be. All of the IPCC’s principle components analyses ASSUME carbon dioxide is the principle driver of climate while totally discount the sun. This ill-concieved idea, at best, will have no effect…at worst, it will have a negative effect. There is nothing wrong with the earth’s climate nor has there ever been. DEFUND THE IPCC!

  3. I do see a problem here. Let’s replace aerosol propellants here and put them up there. Yea!! Pretty sure these propellants have nothing to do with the fake climate change scam

  4. More ways these sickos are ruining our planet in the name of the climate change scam. They are causing all kinds of crazy weather around the country. They need to be stopped. Americans need to speak up and let them know even laymen like ourselves know this is a ridiculous scam.

    1. These idiots won’t be satisfied until the kill off another billion humans with their insane ideas. They should all be locked up in rubber rooms.

  5. Do these wet-behind-the-ears science wizzez know anything about salinity in the atmosphere, fresh surface water or agricultural land? Everyone involved with this project should be arrested and locked up either for insanity or crimes against humanity.

  6. This is the stupidest Idea I have ever heard. Yeah, go messing around the Sun. I tell ya folks, these idiots are trying to kill us all!!

  7. I wonder how many people are aware that 44 climate scientists from 14 countries got together and analyzed ALL available data. Their findings can be summed up as thus. Humans could disappear from the planet and all their pollution causing equipment could cease working and global warming would barely slow down.
    Analyzing a few decades of satellite data showed that solar radiation was increasing and that the ozone wasn’t failing, it was just being bombarded by more radiation then it could stop. Global warming will continue until we find a way to counter the increase in radiation.

    So how do we filter the excess without blocking what we need to grow?

  8. I see that they, the scientist, cannot stop playing God. They won’t be happy until their experiments causes turmoil on our planet. Isn’t it bad enough we’re having weather that is already destructive to us humans? Stop trying to save the planet from your fake global warming and leave it up to the creator!

  9. So could this result in rainwater carrying a relatively higher load of salt…that won’t be good for farmers? Or are we talking about a different kind of “salt”?

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