Billionaire-backed team planned massive test to dim sunlight: Here's how it turned out

A team of researchers in California that gained attention last year for an aborted cloud-creation experiment on a retired aircraft carrier had been planning a much larger study of saltwater-spraying equipment to dim the sun’s rays, Politico reported.

The multimillion-dollar project would have produced clouds over a stretch of ocean larger than Puerto Rico. The documents— including funding requests, emails and texts— raise new questions about the billionaire-backed initiative that oversaw the 2024 test on San Francisco Bay.

The records show the team had received some federal funding and sought access to US government ships, planes and funding. The researchers hoped to expand the project to multiple geographic locations, including off the west coasts of North America, Chile or south-central Africa.

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Alameda test was shut down after 20 minutes

The initial experiment, led by the University of Washington’s Marine Cloud Brightening Program, was intended to run for months but lasted only 20 minutes before Alameda city officials halted it, saying they had not been informed.

“Alameda was a stepping stone to something much larger, and there wasn’t any engagement with local communities,” said Sikina Jinnah, an environmental studies professor at the University of California in Santa Cruz.

University officials downplayed the scale of the proposed ocean test and said the program was focused on assessing whether cloud-making instruments could work in real-world conditions. “The program does not ‘recommend, support or develop plans for the use of marine cloud brightening to alter weather or climate,’” said Sarah Doherty, who leads the program.

Controversy over solar geoengineering

Solar geoengineering, also called solar radiation management, seeks to reduce global warming by reflecting sunlight away from Earth. It includes techniques such as releasing sulfate particles into the stratosphere or spraying saltwater aerosols over oceans.

Critics warn that such efforts could disrupt weather patterns, affect farm yields and wildlife, and create a risk of “termination shock” if the processes stop abruptly. Conspiracy theories have added to the backlash, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) falsely linking geoengineering to deadly floods in Texas and introducing a bill to criminalize the technology.

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In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a law banning the release of chemicals into the atmosphere to affect the climate. More than 575 scientists have called for a global ban, saying the technology “cannot be governed globally in a fair, inclusive, and effective manner.”

Billionaire donors and funding sources

The program’s donors include cryptocurrency billionaire Chris Larsen, philanthropist Rachel Pritzker and venture capitalist Chris Sacca. Larsen said research into marine cloud brightening is needed because of questions about its effectiveness and risks.

“At a time when scientists are facing political attacks and drastic funding cuts, we need to complement a rapid energy transition with more research into a broad range of potential climate solutions,” he said in an email to E&E News.

Quadrature Climate Foundation, linked to London-based hedge fund Quadrature Capital, has given nearly $11.9 million to SilverLining and $5 million to the University of Washington for the research.

SilverLining reported more than $3.6 million in revenue in 2023. It has also received six-figure donations from charities linked to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Intel co-founder Gordon Moore.