A government-backed report says Britons would want strategies to be tested on a small scale that could be used as a last resort if emissions are not cut
By Rhys Blakely, Science Editor
The public is likely to support research into the feasibility of dimming the sun to help cool the planet if it grasps the scale of the threat posed by climate change, a government-backed report has concluded.
The report examined public attitudes to solar radiation modification, or SRM — a group of possible techniques designed to reflect a small amount of sunlight away from Earth.
The ideas range from brightening clouds over the sea with salt particles to releasing reflective particles high in the atmosphere. Other proposals include making roofs or Arctic ice more reflective, thinning heat-trapping clouds, or even putting mirrors in space.
Supporters argue that such methods could help to cool the planet if climate change accelerates beyond control. Critics warn that they would not deal with the root cause of climate change — fossil-fuel emissions — and could have dangerous unintended consequences.
The government has said it has no plans to use the technology. However, ministers are already funding research into whether it could ever be safe or workable.
