The first major geoengineering experiment in history that was supposed to be launched this summer in Sweden has encountered a problem. Can climate change be slowed down by blocking the sun?

The SCoPEx project is developed by Harvard University and has Bill Gates as one of its main sponsors. The goal of this project would be to evaluate the effectiveness of solar geoengineering or climate engineering, which involves the deliberate and large-scale modification of Earth's climate to combat global warming, such as blocking the sun.

Ilustración 1 Bill Gates is one of the financiers of SCoPEx, a project to block the sun from Harvard University.

 What does the project consist of?

Breaking down the proposal, it involves spraying the Earth's atmosphere with particles capable of reflecting sunlight, thus assisting in cooling our planet's temperature. 

 Ilustración Concept of solar light refraction

Concept already tested in 1991 with the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which released about 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. It was the second major volcanic eruption of the last century and claimed the lives of hundreds of people. 

The particles expelled by the volcano dispersed throughout the atmosphere, reflecting a portion of the sun's rays and reducing the Earth's temperature by half a degree over the following 18 months.

If the planet ever reaches an extreme temperature, this resource could buy us time, but it would be useless unless we also manage to combine it with other measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 But... How would it be done?

The Harvard research team wants to release calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a mineral abundant on Earth, which is non-toxic and doesn't have the disadvantages of sulfuric acid, which destroys the ozone and heats the stratosphere.

Calcium carbonate doesn't naturally exist in the stratosphere, so more laboratory and outdoor studies are needed to confirm its effects.

This summer, the first experiment was planned, involving a test flight of the balloon that would carry the material to the stratosphere. It was meant to be a test of the system or balloon platform, similar to the many used for other scientific projects each year. However, the SCoPEx advisory committee and the Swedish space agency have temporarily blocked that test.

Is ethics a hindrance to the project? 

Climate change and its consequences are one of the greatest challenges we face on our planet. Therefore, technology and research in this field are essential, and many experiments are being conducted. However, the scientific community is divided on geoengineering, including related technical tests such as the planned technical test flight with a balloon.

The project leaders claim that they chose Sweden as the launch site for the balloon due to the country's space trajectory. The Swedish Space Agency has over 40 years of experience in launching these stratospheric balloons. This is why the Esrange space center in Kiruna was selected.

It's an undoubtedly controversial project since it's worth remembering that, besides cooling the planet by half a degree through its volcanic activity, Pinatubo also disrupted agricultural food production worldwide, affecting crops like corn, soybeans, rice, wheat, and more, leading to rising prices and numerous other problems.

After all, the sun is one of our main sources of life, and there's still a widespread belief that effectively addressing the climate crisis should involve renewable energy and pollution reduction. But are we still in time to believe in these measures?

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