Cooldown

This national mission aims to develop a strategic approach to counteract the immediate effects of global warming through controlled atmospheric intervention. The mission will:

Establish a comprehensive research program under NASA to investigate the viability and safety of releasing reflective materials into the stratosphere. This program will focus on studying substances like sulfate aerosols or other particulates that can effectively increase the Earth's albedo (its ability to reflect sunlight).

Prepare an operational plan and infrastructure for atmospheric intervention, ready to be executed when an international consensus, likely through a United Nations resolution, on the necessity of this approach in the face of escalating global warming impacts.

Foster global dialogue and collaboration to build a broad scientific and political agreement on the use of this technology and internationally accepted and trusted systems for monitoring all effects of the intervention and any unintended consequences that develop.

The concept of introducing reflective particles into the stratosphere is a response to the urgent need for solutions that can provide immediate relief from rapidly escalating global temperatures. While long-term efforts to slow and ultimately reverse global warming must focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, this mission addresses the possibility of a near-term intervention to prevent catastrophic climate consequences.

The consequences of global warming are already intolerable and catastrophic — they are just unevenly distributed around the world, with many invisible to humans except through scientific investigation. Temperatures in many densely populated parts of the world regularly exceed 50 degrees centigrade (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Parts of the oceans are so hot and acidic now that entire ecosystems are dying.

Much of the damage caused by high temperatures will be irreversible, which is why we argue for using available technology to cool the planet while we end greenhouse gas emissions and figure out how to draw down excess greenhouse gasses. It is reasonable to worry about the unintended and unknown risks of atmospheric interventions — but we are already intervening in the atmosphere with known destructive effects, and they are extinguishing entire species and killing millions of people every year. The effect of releasing reflective materials in the upper atmosphere is temporary, as the aerosols come back to earth over time. Volcanos and the burning of fossil fuels release similar particles, so we already have a lot of data to inform our understanding of what would happen if we took this path.

NASA's role in this initiative is crucial, given its expertise in atmospheric science and technology. The research program will rigorously assess the efficacy and risks associated with stratospheric aerosol injection or similar methods. This assessment will include the potential impacts on weather patterns, ozone layer health, and global ecosystems.

Given the global nature of this intervention, international cooperation and agreement are paramount. The mission therefore also includes a significant diplomatic component, working towards a global consensus on when and how such an intervention should be deployed. The aim is to ensure that any action taken is based on a sound understanding of the risks and benefits, with broad international support.

This mission recognizes the controversial nature of atmospheric intervention but also the potential necessity of such measures in the face of dire climate emergencies. It is a proactive step towards being prepared for a scenario where immediate planetary cooling becomes an imperative for global survival.