Elon Musk’s weird proposal to block out the sun
In this DML Report…
Elon Musk has proposed deploying a large constellation of solar-powered, AI-enabled satellites into Earth's orbit to combat global warming by making minor adjustments to the amount of solar energy reaching the planet. This geoengineering approach, known as solar radiation management, would aim to create a cooling effect similar to methods like injecting reflective particles into the atmosphere but using satellites instead. Musk stated that such a system could also address global cooling if needed, emphasizing that adjustments would be minimal and that while climate change risks are real, they progress more slowly than some claim. He warned that excessive blockage could lead to a "snowball Earth" scenario, as occurred around 635 million years ago when the planet was covered in ice for millions of years, only thawing due to volcanic CO2 buildup, with life surviving in slushy pools and later driving an evolutionary surge. Musk, who advocates for rapidly phasing out fossil fuels and leads Tesla in producing electric vehicles, has already launched over 8,000 satellites for Starlink, demonstrating technical feasibility, and his $469 billion net worth could fund the project, with AI handling the precise energy adjustments.
The proposal involves reducing incoming solar radiation to curb warming, but it carries significant risks, including destabilizing the climate system and causing rapid temperature spikes if deployment is paused or halted. A 1-2 percent reduction in sunlight could severely impact photosynthesis, potentially devastating agriculture, forests, and oxygen production. Additional concerns include the carbon emissions from satellite launches and AI operations, as well as uneven global effects that might disproportionately affect certain regions. A recent report highlighted that such geoengineering could disrupt weather patterns and exacerbate climate issues if not managed carefully.
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Critics have raised strong objections, with Lili Fuhr from the Center for International Environmental Law describing it as highly speculative, unpredictable, and a dangerous distraction from proven decarbonization efforts, warning it threatens billions of lives and rights and cannot be safely stopped. Entrepreneur Ram ben Ze'ev noted that while technically possible, errors could have immeasurable consequences, overestimating human control over nature. Glaciologist Professor Sammie Buzzard emphasized unintended side effects, carbon costs, and the need for global governance rather than unilateral action. Biologist Professor Gustav Andersson likened it to a Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns blocks the sun. Public reactions on X expressed alarm, with users decrying AI's role in controlling sunlight and accusing it of playing God without collective consent. However, oceanographer Alessandro Silvano viewed open discussion of large-scale interventions positively, stressing the need to evaluate complexities, uncertainties, feasibility, impacts, and geopolitical implications.