Stardust Solutions Unveils Sunlight-Reflecting Particles for Climate Geoengineering

Stardust Solutions Introduces Atmospheric Particles to Combat Climate Change

Stardust Solutions, a stealthy geoengineering startup founded by former Israeli government physicians, has unveiled its technology designed to reflect sunlight back into space and artificially cool the planet. On Thursday, the company disclosed details about two proprietary particles it plans to spray into the atmosphere.

The particles, both nearly spherical and measuring half a micron in size, are composed of natural compounds commonly found in toothpaste and food additives. The first-generation technology utilizes amorphous silica, described by the company as "fully bio-safe, manufacturable at scale today, and at a very advanced stage of validation."

The second-generation formulation features a calcium carbonate core encased within a silica shell. Stardust Solutions explained the rationale behind this design: "At high doses, any particle that absorbs a meaningful amount of the Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation will heat the stratosphere, which is a side effect you want to avoid." The Gen 2 particles remain as reflective to incoming sunlight but are more transparent to outgoing infrared radiation, allowing for higher deployment doses without the heating effect.

Ethical Guidelines and Funding

Last month, Stardust Solutions published its first set of ethical guidelines, committing to adhere to them. In October, Heatmap’s Robinson Meyer reported that the company had emerged from stealth mode with $60 million in funding to support commercialization.

"The idea that certain interventions could reduce the chance of really bad climate outcomes, like collapse of Antarctic ice sheets, isn’t new. The Stardust patents show that these ideas are now moving from the realm of the theoretical to the realm of the possible. It’s time to take climate intervention strategies more seriously, and rigorously evaluate the risks of these strategies against the risks of failing to intervene."

Cleveland Rejects $1.6 Billion Data Center Permit

Cleveland, Ohio’s second-largest city, has denied a permit application for a $1.6 billion data center planned for a 35-acre site in the Slavic Village neighborhood. The city’s decision, as reported by the Cleveland Signal, provided no specific reasons for the rejection.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb issued a statement expressing "serious concerns about hyperscale, standalone data centers being placed in residential neighborhoods." The Democrat emphasized that his stance reflected the concerns of local voters. Earlier this month, Rob reported that roughly 25 data center projects were canceled in the first quarter of the year due to growing local opposition. Polling from Heatmap Pro indicates that public support for data centers has significantly declined since last fall.

Cuba Faces Escalating Climate Challenges

Though still early in the season, the Arctic is on track to experience its highest number of wildfire ignitions in 3,000 years. Meanwhile, current conditions include winds exceeding 60 miles per hour battering the mountains in Montana and the Dakotas, while an early heatwave in the Central United States drives temperatures in Texas and Oklahoma to as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit.