Despite how it may seem like a sci-fi concept, scientists from the United States propose that moon dust could inhibit sunlight to some extent and lessen the impacts of climate change, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Moon Dust: Global Warming Solution?
According to the study published in PLOS Climate, lunar dust will intercept sunlight to some extent before it hits the earth. The dust will, in a way, serve as a temporal shade.
When it dissipates and leaves after a short period, more lunar dust will be generated from the moon in order to continuously alleviate the effects of the sun's heat and light.
The Guardian reports that theoretical astrophysicist Ben Bromley from the University of Utah states that one of the exciting facets of the study was the insight that the granules of moon dust have the right composition and size necessary to rightly scatter sunlight. He notes how, because less energy is required in order to deploy such grains, in comparison to launching all the way from earth, the "moonshot" concept was one that particularly interested them.
Bromley and colleagues also considered other materials, such as sea salt and coal, that could potentially block sunlight by around 2% if launched into outer space. Eventually, moon dust was the material that stuck with the researchers.
Is This Climate Change Combatant Feasible and Sustainable?
The exact method of launching the dust right from the moon is yet to be seen. However, a catapult could be utilized for this very purpose.
Moreover, in order to maintain this sunlight-blocking shield, it is necessary to mine millions of tons of moon dust. These grains would also need to be sifted through and loaded into a catapult device of some sort that could fire the grains into space.
The Daily Mail reports that, given these limitations, the scientists only look at its potential rather than its feasibility in terms of logistics.
Bromley mentions that they are not climate change experts. They are simply looking into various dusts on various orbits to examine the effectiveness of potential approaches. He notes how they do not want to miss out on any potential game-changers for such a massive issue.
Efforts to Alleviate Global Warming
The Daily Mail reports that such ideas are not completely new. For the past decades, specialists have thought of using dust grains, screens, and other objects to block the radiation and alleviate climate change effects.
Bromley notes that while they are open to such ideas, it is important to also focus on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases within the earth. While their strategy may involve moonshots, it is necessary to look at other possibilities.
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