Combatting Global Warming with Stratospheric Aerosols

A novel method of stopping climate change by cooling the Earth with aerosols through the process of solar dimming.

Global Warming has been a problem at the heart of Earth’s environmental issues for nearly 5 decades, with the potential to affect a significant portion of the global population and cause catastrophic irreversible damage to the planet's future. Changes in Earth’s climate due to the rise in global temperatures will have an enormous impact on communities around the world, along with a drastic displacement of humans and an extreme loss in natural biodiversity. Current methods of combating this issue have proven to be ineffective, requiring a more comprehensive and innovative approach. 

This project aims to propose a potential solution to mitigate the effects of global warming and limit temperatures to sustainable levels through the use of stratospheric aerosols. Through a process of data collection, experimentation, and modeling, I was able to correlate the presence of aerosols in the stratosphere to a consequent drop in temperatures and utilize regression prediction to forecast a 45% drop in global temperatures after examining the effects of volcanic ash in the stratosphere. I was also able to compare monthly aerosol concentration levels to declines in the growth of temperatures and conclude that by keeping aerosol optical thickness over 0.185, we can stabilize global temperatures and achieve climate change goals set to protect the Earth. By implementing the changes to Earth’s atmosphere, we can reflect heat from the Sun and create a cooling effect for the planet, potentially stopping climate change and saving billions of people.

My solution serves all individuals globally, as climate change is a global issue that affects everyone. My target population is the global community and the people who are currently underserved by current climate change mitigation methods. This solution can have a direct impact on people's lives by slowing down the rate of global warming, reducing the frequency and severity of natural disasters, preserving ecosystems and ensuring access to food and water resources for future generations. It also addresses the needs of marginalized communities, who are disproportionately affected by climate change, such as low-income communities, indigenous peoples, and people of color. The solution addresses their needs by providing a new method to combat climate change which is less costly and more efficient.

I am well-positioned to deliver my solution due to my experience and background in this field. In terms of experience, I have completed multiple projects involving complex modeling and technical analysis of scientific issues, illustrating my proficiency in the project category. As a coach of my local middle school math and science team, I am also heavily involved in helping those in my area and beyond. As a member of the Asian-American community, I am a strong representative of the people I hope to serve through this project, with projections showing that those South Asia are highly likely to be heavily impacted by Climate Change.

To study the population I am serving, I have conducted research on the impacts of climate change on those disproportionately affected, including marginalized communities such as low-income communities, indigenous peoples, and people of color. In terms of work, I have volunteered many times to benefit those disadvantaged in my community, such as helping out at the local kitchen and shelter. I have also collaborated with experts in other fields to develop an interdisciplinary approach in addressing the problem.

As of now few attempts to implement this research to combat climate change have been tried. The potential impact of this technology makes it imperative to perform experiments to examine the viability of stratospheric aerosols in a tool to sustain temperatures on Earth. Some researchers have attempted to perform physical and experimental trials on the subject, but regulation has made this challenging. Therefore, a holistic approach to the solution is needed to determine the effect of the new technology. My project focuses on looking at the idea of Stratospheric Aerosols through an analytical point of view, relying on previously collected data to make accurate assumptions about the impacts of this technology in the future. Proving the usefulness of this concept could be revolutionary for the world as we would be able to combat climate change in a highly effective manner.

For next year, I hope to see a few key steps in the projects progress be achieved. In the near future, I hope to explore the viability of this research in the real world through experiments and physical testing, which would allow me to collect my own accurate data on the effects of aerosols on localized temperatures. This could help validate my research so far on the project, and would greatly progress the fight with climate change. If we can achieve numerical data on the effects of the technology in the real world, it would increase the evidence to use this research as a new weapon to fight global warming.

The main technology used in this project is machine learning, in the form of predictive models built to model the growth of temperatures and effect of stratospheric aerosol concentration levels on global warming.

By next year, I hope to get approval to test the technology in a localized area to collect data on the impacts of the aerosols in a test area before it is used all over the world. It is hard to put a number on the amount of people that I am hoping to test my project on, however I would like to try to test my project on a small city or town so I can prove that the concept is viable and can be used to reduce temperatures.

The main barriers to entering the market for this idea is legal issues with aerospace regulation that makes it hard to collect data on the technologies viability in the real world.

We are not currently partnered with any other organizations.

The current path to sustainability that I am considering is that of government grants or funding. As a social enterprise, I am looking to benefit the greater good of humanity rather than making a product for the market, and as the technology can have major impacts with collection of valid data through experiments, I am hoping to be able to get government funding for the project as it would positively impact everyone all over the world. Government funding would allow the technology to be used everywhere in approved places, and would bring benefit to the country in many manners, mainly that of limiting climate change and stopping all of the side effects that come with it, such as rising sea levels and increased natural disasters.