A group of researchers developing a controversial sun-dimming technology worked closely with federal scientists while keeping their plans quiet from the public, according to internal documents obtained by Politico.
The project, known as the Marine Cloud Brightening Program, was led by the University of Washington and supported by private climate advocacy groups and wealthy donors.
Its goal was to test machines that spray tiny salt particles into the air, with the hope of forming brighter clouds that reflect sunlight and to potentially cool the Earth.
In 2023, the team attempted a small test on the deck of a retired aircraft carrier off the coast of Alameda, California.
That test lasted only 20 minutes before city officials shut it down, saying they had not been properly informed.
But internal emails, texts, and research plans obtained by and shared by Politico on Sunday show the real goal was much more audacious.
Before the Alameda test even began, the team was planning a full-scale experiment over 3,900 square miles of ocean, an area Politico noted is area larger than Puerto Rico.
Those behind the experiment had also been in contact with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
“The science plan for the study has been shared with our colleagues at NOAA and DOE,” said a draft report prepared for donors.
Should sun dimming be banned?
Politico’s Corbin Hiar reported, “A Department of Energy spokesperson acknowledged funding University of Washington ‘research on how ambient aerosols affect clouds,’ but said the agency hadn’t supported ‘deliberate field deployment of aerosols into the environment.’”
The researchers hoped to secure more access to government aircraft and ships and were seeking millions of dollars in funding.
The program’s backers included several tech billionaires and major philanthropic foundations.
Despite the scale of the proposed experiment, the organizers kept their plans from the public in the area — and deliberately so.
Documents shared show they coached team members not to mention the test to reporters and worked to avoid triggering alarm among those who reside in and around the San Francisco Bay.
One internal message even advised staff to “avoid scaring them overly” when discussing the plan.
Alameda’s mayor Ezzy Ashcraft said she learned about the project from a news report.
Solar geoengineering aims to reflect sunlight away from the Earth to cool the planet and it is not federally regulated.
NOAA declined to comment for the article and the agency has remained quiet about the lack of transparency surrounding the project.
You can read the University of Washington’s report on the Marine Cloud Brightening Program in its entirety here.
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