Politico: in the US and the EU began to discuss technology to limit sunlight

Lawmakers and policymakers in the United States and the European Union are considering sunshine-restricting technologies as a possible tool to combat global warming, according to two former government insiders.

The possible recognition of solar geoengineering was made possible in part by some major environmental groups and climate policy leaders who have begun to openly call for increased research into solar reflection technologies, said Cynthia Scharf, a senior researcher at the Center for Future Generations, a Brussels think tank, who previously headed the UN Secretary-General’s Strategic Climate Communications Unit.

Previously, such technologies were considered taboo for environmentalists due to the possible destruction of the ozone layer, changing the weather and provoking geopolitical conflicts. In addition, limiting sunlight does not eliminate the main causes of warming: the burning of oil, gas and coal.

However, investments from Silicon Valley in solar geoengineering startups have moved the prospect of limiting sunlight into a possible category, Cynthia Scharf added.

“The debate shifts — mostly behind closed doors,” she said. According to her, the ministries of agriculture, trade, foreign affairs and defense are already showing interest in technology.”.

Startup investors are betting that the world will soon get so hot that governments will start paying for access to sun-blocking technologies.

This summer, the countries of Europe were affected by a long and record heat - temperatures reached 40 degrees. This led to large-scale forest fires and shallowing of rivers. The drought that followed has already led to a record crop failure. According to EUobserver, the total loss could be around €800 billion.