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Plan B for the planet depends on oversight, not technology alone
This is no coincidence. Climate forecasts, once laden with caveats, are now sounding more like sirens. The World Meteorological Organization has warned that global temperatures could rise as much as 2°C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years, breaching a climate red line. At that mark, we're looking at shrinking crop yields, collapsing ecosystems, and more than a third of the global population potentially exposed to extreme heat.
In this climate of urgency, Solar Radiation Modification (SRM), a subfield of solar geoengineering, is garnering attention. The concept is simple: Reflect a small portion of sunlight back into space to artificially cool the planet. The methods vary wildly — from injecting sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere to spreading reflective glass particles over Arctic ice. Elegant in theory but risky in practice. Tinker with the global thermostat to cool one region, and you might cause drought in another. The models are incomplete, risks planetary, and governance nearly absent.
Still, money is flowing in. According to SRM360, a non-profit tracking developments in the field, funding between 2020 and 2024 reached $112.1 million — over 3x the $34.9 million spent between 2010 and 2014. And the momentum isn't slowing: $164.7 million has already been committed for the next phase, from 2025 through 2029.
A key player in this new wave is the UK's Advanced Research and Innovation Agency (ARIA), which has pledged roughly $80 million towards real-world SRM experiments. Its 'Exploring Climate Cooling' initiative is pushing boundaries: Researchers under the programme aim to test whether they can thicken Arctic ice, brighten marine clouds, or even simulate the effects of orbital mirrors. Mark Symes, ARIA's programme director, put it bluntly in a recent BBC interview: 'There is a critical missing gap in our knowledge on the feasibility and impacts of SRM, and to fill that gap requires real-world outdoor experiments.'
But that approach carries reputational risks. Over the past decade, several respected institutions— including Harvard and a UK university consortium involving Oxford — have launched SRM projects, only to pause or cancel them in the face of political backlash and scientific hesitation.
But not everyone is waiting for academic approval. Since 2017, the Arctic Ice Project — a privately run effort — has scattered tiny reflective glass beads across 17,500 square metres of Arctic sea ice. The move drew protests from Native Alaskan leaders. It now hopes to scale up its deployment across 100,000 square kilometres.
Then there's the do-it-yourself crowd. In 2022, a British independent researcher launched a weather balloon that released sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere, dubbing the project SATAN — Stratospheric Aerosol Transport and Nucleation. Around the same time, Silicon Valley-backed startup Make Sunsets began launching similar balloons while planning to sell 'cooling credits' to fund the operation.
Critics argue that such experiments, if conducted without rigorous review, may violate international environmental laws, including the 1985 Vienna Convention, which protects the ozone layer. Some participants point to a lack of national regulation as justification. That legal vacuum, however, doesn't equal a green light. SRM360 has also flagged $1.1 million in anonymous donations to SRM efforts, raising concerns about transparency in a field with potential global consequences.
And then, there's the spectre that haunts every SRM debate: Fossil fuel interests. Critics worry that solar geoengineering could offer a convenient excuse to avoid the harder — and more politically painful — task of cutting emissions.
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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Very Cold War: Brutal Arctic Conditions Are Testing U.S. and Allied Forces
Elite combat troops shred their physiques to look like Hollywood hunks. In the Arctic, that can kill you. The cold eats away at soldiers, who lose on average 3,000 calories a day while on exercises in the Arctic Circle—even while eating full rations and before they have taken part in any strenuous activity. 'The modern soldier goes to the gym, likes to look lean with washboard abs, so they don't have any fat on their muscles,' said Swedish Army Sgt. Maj. Fredrik Flink, who leads winter-warfare courses for U.S. Marines and other forces in northern Sweden. 'After three days here, they are really worn down. That is the biggest problem we have,' he said. 'Basic things aren't sexy nowadays.' U.S. and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops are flocking to the European Arctic, where international tensions are simmering. Militaries haven't clashed in the high north in generations, and defense planners are puzzling through what war there would look like. It is ugly. 'We are writing the book as it happens, based on almost zero experience,' said Troy Bouffard, director of the Center for Arctic Security and Resilience at the University of Alaska. 'This is a very strange set of circumstances.' The war in Ukraine has given the world a glimpse of future armed conflict. The Arctic is different. In Ukraine, killer drones swarm the skies and dominate the front line. In the Arctic, fuels freeze and batteries die suddenly. Drones in the high north run on jet fuel or diesel, and are equipped with deicing systems and robust propulsion to withstand Arctic winds. As a result, they are usually so large they need a trailer or a runway to launch. Ships and aircraft require special lubricants and hardened exteriors. The ice provides cover for submarines but also poses operational challenges for navigation and communication. It is an area where Russia, with stealthy, ice-breaking submarines with long-range missile capabilities, has an advantage. The northern lights—a stunning natural phenomenon and Instagrammable tourist attraction—interfere with radio signals, as charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. Defending the high north relies largely on old-school methods: infantry in white uniforms, on skis and snowmobiles. 'Technology is picking up, and we're all learning quicker, but still, if you wanna hold ground, and if you wanna defend ground, you will rely on boots on the ground and your overwhites,' said Swedish Army Chief Maj. Gen. Jonny Lindfors. One of the greatest challenges is also the most basic: how to sustain troops in the harsh Arctic climate for weeks at a time. As a young sergeant, Vegard Flom once led a reconnaissance patrol on exercise in northern Norway. Temperatures in March fluctuated from just above freezing during the day to well below at night. He went to bed one night, socks soaked from the marshes, and woke up to find them frozen. He still feels the effects of frostbite nearly three decades later. Even in the blazing summer sun, his feet are always cold. 'I view myself as a cold-weather warrior,' said Flom, who is now a colonel in the Norwegian Army and leads the NATO Centre of Excellence—Cold Weather Operations. 'Throughout the years, I have found that I can master some of it, but not all of it.' No one can predict how the cold will hit them until they are in it. Flink, the Swedish instructor, once led soldiers through a 'lone wolf' exercise, teaching them to camp alone in subzero temperatures. One night, he approached a soldier who was walking in circles, stomping his feet, saying it was too cold to light a fire. He had forgotten how to use his army-issued, three-layer Swedish sleeping bags, two of which were still in his rucksack. 'We call it cold shock,' Flink said. 'They are not receptive to information.' U.S. Marines are taught how to camp in the snow and hide without the cover of trees. Military experts and commanders believe Russia is unlikely to attack a NATO country while embroiled in the war in Ukraine, or in its immediate aftermath. Moscow, however, could be ready to attack a NATO country within five years, according to the alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Because Russia dominates the Arctic, the West can use the region to deter Russian aggression by implicitly threatening its interests, such as shipping lanes and infrastructure, said Bryan Clark, director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute in Washington. 'There's an asymmetry there the West can take advantage of,' he said. The Arctic has rarely seen combat. Western troops supported anti-Bolshevik forces against the Red Army in the Northern Front of the Russian Civil War from 1918. Finland fought the brutal Winter War with the Soviet Union for approximately 100 days beginning in late 1939. Arctic Norway and Finland were the scene of a three-week Soviet operation to drive German troops out in 1944. After Nazi Germany invaded the northern Norwegian port of Narvik in 1940, British, French and Polish troops intervened in support of the Norwegians. Even the French legionnaires—considered some of the world's toughest soldiers—struggled in the cold. Today, most of NATO's Arctic territory is in North America, but its land borders with Russia are in Northern Europe. Sweden and Finland, in particular, have spent decades training for potential conflict with Russia. The West is worried that Moscow could use the Arctic to launch an incursion into the Baltic region or Finland. It could attempt a limited land grab of the eastern Estonian border city of Narva, the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, or the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Gotland, said Lindfors. A larger-scale campaign could seize a swath of territory known as the Cap of the North, comprising northernmost Norway, Sweden and Finland, allowing Russia to dominate the northern seaway. In the event of a Russian offensive, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish troops would likely be backfilled by NATO forces flowing into the Arctic, including Americans based in Germany and Poland. Key to NATO's war efforts will be Norway's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, an elite force trained to operate deep behind enemy lines in units of half a dozen soldiers. They dig snowcaves large enough to conceal snowmobiles and skin reindeer to cook over an open fire. During a recent 100-day exercise, the unit's soldiers traveled over 1,500 miles and resupplied only once, one of its members said. Nordic instructors teach NATO allies, including U.S. Marines, how to camp in the snow and hide without the cover of trees. They show them how to slaughter reindeer, catch fish to eat raw and adjust themselves to constant daylight in the summer, which can rob soldiers of sleep and a sense of time. Newcomers to the Arctic need about a month to overcome the initial shock and to thrive in the cold, said Brig. Terje Bruøygard, commander of Norway's Brigade North, a 4,500-strong unit based north of the Arctic Circle. The trick to coping with the cold, he said, is to accept you can't fight it. A dozen U.S. Marines were once medevaced back to the U.S. from training in northern Norway, after their commander told them to 'toughen up, Marines.' They suffered frostbite so severe that they required surgical attention, Bruøygard remembered. A cold injury requires you to change what you're doing, he said. 'If you toughen up, you will have a second or third degree injury. You can lose your flesh, you can die.' Swedish, Finnish, Italian and French troops taking part in an amphibious assault demonstration. Bruøygard speaks from experience. At 24, he fell through the ice on a small lake during an exercise. His training kicked in. He fluttered his legs and tried to drag himself up, but repeatedly slipped back into the cold water. In a final attempt before his strength sapped, he clawed his nails into the ice and pulled himself up. He crawled away on all fours to avoid breaking through the ice again. By the time he returned to his platoon, his weapon and equipment had frozen to his body. He passed out and woke up in his sleeping bag, undressed by his conscripts, who had put him in a sleeping bag and lit a fire. Not everyone survives a cold brush with death. A Norwegian battle tank capsized during an exercise years later and crashed through the ice, killing two soldiers. Write to Sune Engel Rasmussen at Very Cold War: Brutal Arctic Conditions Are Testing U.S. and Allied Forces
Mint
9 hours ago
- Mint
Very cold war: Brutal Arctic conditions are testing US and allied forces
Elite combat troops shred their physiques to look like Hollywood hunks. In the Arctic, that can kill you. The cold eats away at soldiers, who lose on average 3,000 calories a day while on exercises in the Arctic Circle—even while eating full rations and before they have taken part in any strenuous activity. 'The modern soldier goes to the gym, likes to look lean with washboard abs, so they don't have any fat on their muscles," said Swedish Army Sgt. Maj. Fredrik Flink, who leads winter-warfare courses for U.S. Marines and other forces in northern Sweden. 'After three days here, they are really worn down. That is the biggest problem we have," he said. 'Basic things aren't sexy nowadays." U.S. and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops are flocking to the European Arctic, where international tensions are simmering. Militaries haven't clashed in the high north in generations, and defense planners are puzzling through what war there would look like. It is ugly. 'We are writing the book as it happens, based on almost zero experience," said Troy Bouffard, director of the Center for Arctic Security and Resilience at the University of Alaska. 'This is a very strange set of circumstances." The war in Ukraine has given the world a glimpse of future armed conflict. The Arctic is different. In Ukraine, killer drones swarm the skies and dominate the front line. In the Arctic, fuels freeze and batteries die suddenly. Drones in the high north run on jet fuel or diesel, and are equipped with deicing systems and robust propulsion to withstand Arctic winds. As a result, they are usually so large they need a trailer or a runway to launch. Ships and aircraft require special lubricants and hardened exteriors. The ice provides cover for submarines but also poses operational challenges for navigation and communication. It is an area where Russia, with stealthy, ice-breaking submarines with long-range missile capabilities, has an advantage. The northern lights—a stunning natural phenomenon and Instagrammable tourist attraction—interfere with radio signals, as charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. Defending the high north relies largely on old-school methods: infantry in white uniforms, on skis and snowmobiles. 'Technology is picking up, and we're all learning quicker, but still, if you wanna hold ground, and if you wanna defend ground, you will rely on boots on the ground and your overwhites," said Swedish Army Chief Maj. Gen. Jonny Lindfors. One of the greatest challenges is also the most basic: how to sustain troops in the harsh Arctic climate for weeks at a time. As a young sergeant, Vegard Flom once led a reconnaissance patrol on exercise in northern Norway. Temperatures in March fluctuated from just above freezing during the day to well below at night. He went to bed one night, socks soaked from the marshes, and woke up to find them frozen. He still feels the effects of frostbite nearly three decades later. Even in the blazing summer sun, his feet are always cold. 'I view myself as a cold-weather warrior," said Flom, who is now a colonel in the Norwegian Army and leads the NATO Centre of Excellence—Cold Weather Operations. 'Throughout the years, I have found that I can master some of it, but not all of it." No one can predict how the cold will hit them until they are in it. Flink, the Swedish instructor, once led soldiers through a 'lone wolf" exercise, teaching them to camp alone in subzero temperatures. One night, he approached a soldier who was walking in circles, stomping his feet, saying it was too cold to light a fire. He had forgotten how to use his army-issued, three-layer Swedish sleeping bags, two of which were still in his rucksack. 'We call it cold shock," Flink said. 'They are not receptive to information." Military experts and commanders believe Russia is unlikely to attack a NATO country while embroiled in the war in Ukraine, or in its immediate aftermath. Moscow, however, could be ready to attack a NATO country within five years, according to the alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Because Russia dominates the Arctic, the West can use the region to deter Russian aggression by implicitly threatening its interests, such as shipping lanes and infrastructure, said Bryan Clark, director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute in Washington. 'There's an asymmetry there the West can take advantage of," he said. The Arctic has rarely seen combat. Western troops supported anti-Bolshevik forces against the Red Army in the Northern Front of the Russian Civil War from 1918. Finland fought the brutal Winter War with the Soviet Union for approximately 100 days beginning in late 1939. Arctic Norway and Finland were the scene of a three-week Soviet operation to drive German troops out in 1944. After Nazi Germany invaded the northern Norwegian port of Narvik in 1940, British, French and Polish troops intervened in support of the Norwegians. Even the French legionnaires—considered some of the world's toughest soldiers—struggled in the cold. Today, most of NATO's Arctic territory is in North America, but its land borders with Russia are in Northern Europe. Sweden and Finland, in particular, have spent decades training for potential conflict with Russia. The West is worried that Moscow could use the Arctic to launch an incursion into the Baltic region or Finland. It could attempt a limited land grab of the eastern Estonian border city of Narva, the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, or the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Gotland, said Lindfors. A larger-scale campaign could seize a swath of territory known as the Cap of the North, comprising northernmost Norway, Sweden and Finland, allowing Russia to dominate the northern seaway. In the event of a Russian offensive, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish troops would likely be backfilled by NATO forces flowing into the Arctic, including Americans based in Germany and Poland. Key to NATO's war efforts will be Norway's Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, an elite force trained to operate deep behind enemy lines in units of half a dozen soldiers. They dig snowcaves large enough to conceal snowmobiles and skin reindeer to cook over an open fire. During a recent 100-day exercise, the unit's soldiers traveled over 1,500 miles and resupplied only once, one of its members said. Nordic instructors teach NATO allies, including U.S. Marines, how to camp in the snow and hide without the cover of trees. They show them how to slaughter reindeer, catch fish to eat raw and adjust themselves to constant daylight in the summer, which can rob soldiers of sleep and a sense of time. Newcomers to the Arctic need about a month to overcome the initial shock and to thrive in the cold, said Brig. Terje Bruøygard, commander of Norway's Brigade North, a 4,500-strong unit based north of the Arctic Circle. The trick to coping with the cold, he said, is to accept you can't fight it. A dozen U.S. Marines were once medevaced back to the U.S. from training in northern Norway, after their commander told them to 'toughen up, Marines." They suffered frostbite so severe that they required surgical attention, Bruøygard remembered. A cold injury requires you to change what you're doing, he said. 'If you toughen up, you will have a second or third degree injury. You can lose your flesh, you can die." Bruøygard speaks from experience. At 24, he fell through the ice on a small lake during an exercise. His training kicked in. He fluttered his legs and tried to drag himself up, but repeatedly slipped back into the cold water. In a final attempt before his strength sapped, he clawed his nails into the ice and pulled himself up. He crawled away on all fours to avoid breaking through the ice again. By the time he returned to his platoon, his weapon and equipment had frozen to his body. He passed out and woke up in his sleeping bag, undressed by his conscripts, who had put him in a sleeping bag and lit a fire. Not everyone survives a cold brush with death. A Norwegian battle tank capsized during an exercise years later and crashed through the ice, killing two soldiers. Write to Sune Engel Rasmussen at
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Aurora Alert: Northern Lights might appear in 14 US states this week; when and where to look
The stunning light show is in town again! Get ready for an ethereal night light show, without spending big bucks or turning up at some theatre! Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, might appear across the night sky and enchant at least 14 US states this week! According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, a minor geomagnetic storm, sparked by solar wind arriving from a coronal hole, is lighting up the possibility of aurora sightings far beyond the usual Arctic zones. Whether you're an avid skywatcher or just curious, this is your chance to catch a rare glimpse of swirling greens, pinks, and purples. What's happening? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a minor (G1) geomagnetic storm, just enough solar wind energy to stir the Earth's magnetic field and make auroras visible in places where they don't usually appear. Expect a stunning light show this week, and the best viewing window between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. local time, with the most vivid light show between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. EDT. Cherry on top? A late-rising moon keeps skies darker longer, helping those shimmering curtains of light stand out better! What is the Aurora Borealis? Aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is a natural light display in the sky, primarily seen in high-latitude regions. It occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's atmosphere, producing vibrant colors like green, red, and purple. The aurora borealis is caused by charged particles, mainly electrons and protons, from the sun's solar wind colliding with Earth's magnetosphere. These particles are then guided towards the poles by Earth's magnetic field. The colors observed in the aurora are determined by the specific atmospheric gases and the energy of the colliding particles. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How to build a better cloud center of excellence - Google Cloud: Future of Infrastructure CIO | Google Cloud, AMD Undo Green light is often associated with oxygen, while red light is also produced by oxygen, and blue and purple light can be seen with hydrogen and helium. Although the aurora borealis is most frequently observed in regions around the Arctic Circle, including countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, and Alaska, this time several US states are set to witness the magic as well. Where might the Northern Lights appear? Not one ot two, this week, the Northern Lights are ready to take the breath away of at least 14 US States. Here's your breathtaking cosmic map: Alaska Washington Idaho Montana Wyoming North Dakota South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Michigan New York Vermont New Hampshire Maine Best viewing tip: Head to the darkest, northern-facing skies possible. Think rural spots, hills, or open fields, for the best chance at spotting the aurora! Why is the Aurora extending this far south? It's 'Northern' Lights, right? Not complaining at all, but why exactly is the aurora tiptoeing this far south? The magic begins with coronal holes, dark patches on the sun that release fast solar wind. When those charged particles hit Earth's magnetic field, they excite atmospheric gases high above, producing those colorful waves of light. We're currently in a solar maximum phase, an 11-year cycle where sunspot activity surges, and auroras become more frequent and dramatic. How to catch the stunning light show It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance (even if you witness it for the nth time)! So, make sure you're prepped to experience the surreal. Here's your essential viewing guide: Pick the peak hours: Between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., especially around midnight to 2 a.m. Find a dark spot: Get away from bright city lights and face north for the best view. Bring your camera: Who doesn't want to capture a once-in-a-lifetime light show! Whether you are a photography enthusiast or just an amateur shooter, get your camera out. Set it to night mode or long exposure. Smartphones can capture more colors than the naked eye. Use tripods for better stability. Check the forecast: Ready to be on to go. Watch NOAA updates and aurora sites for any alerts or changes in activity. Track in real time: Apps like Aurorasaurus crowd-source sightings, helping you know where others are spotting the lights. Whether you're an astronomy enthusiast or just out for a midnight drive, this week's aurora prospect is a gentle nudge from nature to look up, just soak in the moment, and enjoy. Happy sky watching, and may your night be lit with cosmic color! This Is Where I Leave You: Official trailer
