Israeli Startup Aims to Reverse Climate Change with $60M Solar Geoengineering Breakthrough

Shares of the Israeli startup Stardust Solutions have been on the rise since it disclosed a $60 million funding round in October, marking the largest known investment to date for a company working on solar geoengineering. The startup, which has been making waves in the tech industry with its claims of being able to cool the planet, has said it expects nations to pay it more than $1 billion per year to launch specially equipped aircraft into the stratosphere. According to a 2023 pitch deck presented to venture capital firms, Stardust's proprietary particles, which are still secret, could counteract all the greenhouse gases emitted over the last 150 years. The company claims that its technology is the only feasible solution to climate change, and that it can be deployed without causing environmental side effects. "We're not just talking about mitigating the effects of climate change, we're talking about reversing it," said a spokesperson for Stardust Solutions. The company's approach involves using specially designed aircraft to disperse particles into the stratosphere, where they can reflect away enough sunlight to cool down the planet. This is a form of solar geoengineering, which involves manipulating the Earth's climate system to counteract the effects of global warming. While the idea of geoengineering has been around for decades, it has only recently gained traction as a potential solution to climate change. Stardust's approach is notable for its scalability and speed, with the company claiming that it can deploy its technology quickly and at a large scale. "We're not waiting for governments to make decisions or for scientists to come up with new research," said the spokesperson. "We're moving forward with the technology we have, and we're confident that it will work." The company's funding round has been seen as a significant vote of confidence in the potential of solar geoengineering. However, not everyone is convinced that Stardust's approach is the right one. "While we appreciate the enthusiasm and investment in this area, we need to be cautious about the potential risks and unintended consequences of geoengineering," said a spokesperson for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Despite the controversy surrounding its approach, Stardust Solutions is moving forward with its plans to deploy its technology. The company has said that it expects to begin launching its aircraft in the near future, with the goal of deploying its technology at a large scale within the next few years. As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, Stardust's approach is likely to be closely watched by policymakers, scientists, and the public alike.