Mounting an R&D Effort on Reflecting Sunlight
May 12, 2022
With Earth steadily warming, the United States should launch a robust research program on reflecting sunlight back into space, say two leaders of a Council on Foreign Relations report. This call reflects, if you will, a detailed blueprint in Issues for assessing solar radiation mitigation. The Biden administration and Congress, John Deutch and Maria Zuber write, should mount an R&D program funded initially with $50 million per year to support 10 to 15 university research centers. An independent committee should also be appointed to lead pro and con discussions of this technology while researchers seek knowledge to inform hard decisions ahead about if, how, and when it should be used.