A mysterious Israeli startup called Stardust is developing a new form of solar geoengineering technology. The company aims to sell its proprietary climate modification solutions to governments around the world. Stardust was formed in 2023 and is based in Israel, but it is incorporated in the United States.
The company operates with limited public scrutiny, raising concerns among scientists about the potential consequences of its work. Few details are known about Stardust’s specific plans or technology. However, a report by the company’s former climate governance consultant, Janos Pasztor, offers some insights.
According to Pasztor, Stardust is developing a proprietary aerosol particle that will be distributed via an aircraft-mounted machine. This approach is a modern take on stratospheric aerosol injection, a geoengineering method that involves releasing reflective particles high in the atmosphere to cool the planet. Stardust claims its proprietary particles offer advantages over traditional sulfate particles in terms of safety, effectiveness, cost, and dispersibility.
Stardust’s innovative approach scrutinized
However, the lack of extensive data on these new particles has led to skepticism among experts. The CEO and cofounder of Stardust, Yanai Yedvab, has pledged to release all scientific findings once they have undergone validation.
Yedvab maintains that any future outdoor experiments will be conducted in a controlled manner and that information about these tests will be made public. Despite these assurances, critics argue that Stardust’s push to use a new type of particle adds complexity and uncertainty to the already controversial field of geoengineering. David Keith, head of the Climate Systems Engineering initiative at the University of Chicago, has been a vocal advocate of geoengineering.
However, he cautions that while solar geoengineering might mitigate some risks associated with climate change, the long-term effects and potential health impacts remain uncertain. As Stardust advances its research, calls for more robust regulatory frameworks to oversee geoengineering efforts have grown louder. Pasztor’s report highlighted the need for clear international rules and oversight to ensure that such technologies are developed and deployed responsibly.
The debate surrounding Stardust’s work underscores the widening scope of geoengineering as the climate crisis intensifies. The outcomes of these efforts will likely shape the future discourse on climate intervention and the ethical implications of manipulating the planet’s systems.
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