Spraying saltwater into air to cool planet: Bold experiment
California scientists tried a bold experiment—spraying saltwater into the air to make clouds that reflect sunlight and cool the planet.
But the test, run from a retired aircraft carrier, was shut down after just 20 minutes when Alameda city officials responded to community concerns.
The project is led by the University of Washington's Marine Cloud Brightening Program and is about testing tech, not changing weather (yet).
Experiment has its share of critics
The idea—called solar geoengineering—has some big names worried.
Critics fear messing with sunlight could disrupt weather or harm ecosystems, and over 575 scientists have called for a global ban until we know more.
Still, supporters (including some major climate-focused billionaires) say experiments like this are crucial, emphasizing that the only way to know what works is to conduct more experiments.
Even with setbacks, they're pushing for more research to figure out if this could actually help fight climate change.