Scientists plan to ‘turn down’ the sun’s brightness in fight against climate change

One proposal involves spraying aerosol particles into the Earth’s stratosphere to deflect some of the sun’s energy away from our planet, a concept inspired by the natural cooling effect of volcanic eruptions.

Scientists believe they may be able to “dim the lights” on the sun in an effort to fight climate change.

The United Kingdom’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency or ARIA is poised to approve $57 million in funding for studies and experiments aimed at finding ways to reduce the sun’s brightness. One proposal involves spraying aerosol particles into the Earth’s stratosphere to deflect some of the sun’s energy away from our planet, a concept inspired by the natural cooling effect of volcanic eruptions.

Other techniques under consideration include marine cloud brightening — spraying sea salt into the atmosphere to make clouds whiter and reflect solar radiation — and thinning natural cirrus clouds, which act as heat-trapping blankets.

The idea comes from British scientists at the Advanced Research and Invention Agency. Prof Mark Symes, the programme director for Aria who is leading the geo-engineering project, said the research could include “small controlled outdoor experiments on particular approaches”.

Aria’s mission is to invest in ideas that are on the edge of possibility and to unlock scientific and technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. However, critics warn that artificially cooling the sun could have unforeseen consequences and potentially disrupt weather patterns.

Critics argue that investing in geo-engineering may make politicians less inclined to address carbon emissions, the known root cause of climate change.

The sun emits an immense amount of energy, measured in watts — the unit of power. The sun’s total power output is approximately 3.8 x 10^26 watts, with Earth receiving a small fraction of this energy, averaging about 342 watts per square meter. This solar energy is vital for Earth’s climate and life.

As recently reported by the Daily Star, scientists are alarmed after research indicated that last month was the hottest January on record – but they attribute it to one factor.

Scientists from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) disclosed after a meeting that January 2025 was the warmest January ever recorded. The global average air temperature was 55.81°F (13.23°C), which is 1.42°F (0.79°C) above the 1991-2020 average for January.

It also surpassed the previous record for the hottest January, set in 2024 at 55.65°F (13.14°C).