Could moon dust fired into space to block the sun help stop climate change?

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Simulated stream of dust launched between Earth and the Sun. This dust cloud is shown as it crosses the disk of the Sun, viewed from Earth. Streams like this one, including those launched from the Moon’s surface, can act as a temporary sun shade.   Image Credit: Ben Bromley, CC-BY 4.0
Simulated stream of dust launched between Earth and the Sun. This dust cloud is shown as it crosses the disk of the Sun, viewed from Earth. Streams like this one, including those launched from the Moon’s surface, can act as a temporary sun shade. Image Credit: Ben Bromley, CC-BY 4.0

It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but US scientists have calculated if it would be possible to shoot moon dust into space to block the sun's rays before they reach Earth in an attempt to stop the planet from warming. The researchers say dust grains in the right place in space could shade the Earth for up to a week, and moon dust takes less energy to launch than dust from Earth. Using moon dust also avoids any long-term impacts on Earth or its atmosphere. They say roughly ten billion kg of material would be needed each year to have a climate impact, which is roughly 700 times more mass than humans have ever launched into space. Suddenly, cutting fossil fuels seems like an easier option. 

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PLOS Climate
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Organisation/s: University of Utah, USA
Funder: The University of Utah Office of Undergraduate Research provided a stipend to co-author SHK through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
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