Physicists Propose Blasting Moon Dust Into Space to Fix Climate Change [View all]

We could cut fossil fuel use. Or we could put cannons on the Moon and shoot enough dust into orbit to block out the light of the Sun!

ByLauren Leffer
Published Yesterday

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Don’t worry about climate change. The theoretical astrophysicists are here to fix it with lunar dust and moon cannons.
Image: Vadim Sadovski (Shutterstock)

In case you haven’t noticed, things are getting a little bit desperate when it comes to climate change. We need global solutions and meaningful action as of yesterday, but our political leaders and corporate overlords alike are mostly doubling down on the status quo. Enter: Theoretical physicists.

A group of researchers from the University of Utah believe they’ve hit on a possible fix for the ongoing, human-caused warming of Earth. And—buckle up for this one—their cutting-edge proposed solution is to shoot millions of metric tons of moon dust into Earth’s orbit every year to partially block out the Sun’s rays, thus cooling the planet.

We’re officially at the point in environmental collapse where scientists think it’s worth exploring lunar mines and a space-based dust distribution system to buy time. Meanwhile, down on Earth, fossil fuel companies are achieving record profits, abandoning even their weak emissions reductions promises, and actively working to increase their oil and gas production. This... says a lot about society.

But let’s at least hear the scientists out. What did they do?

“We looked at a variety of dust types and orbit solutions to see how much dust would be needed to make an impact on Earth’s climate,” explained lead study researcher and University of Utah theoretical astrophysicist Benjamin Bromley in an email to Earther. “We settled on a favorite concept, involving lots of moondust in a jet-like stream that can shade the Earth.”

More:
https://gizmodo.com/moon-dust-climate-change-geoengineering-solution-1850099424