Spraying Saltwater into Clouds to Lower Earth's Temperature... The 'Technology' Slowing Global Warming

As global warming progresses at an uncontrollable pace, a research team is reportedly studying a method to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by spraying saltwater into clouds.

Recently, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Southern Cross University in Australia, along with many environmental organizations and academic institutions, is conducting a research project known as "marine cloud brightening."

The core idea is to spray saltwater to brighten clouds, reflecting sunlight and shading the sea surface, thereby lowering the temperature of seawater.

This utilizes the principle that when a saltwater mixture contacts clouds, the cloud area expands and brightness increases. According to a research team at the University of Washington, spraying saltwater on just 20% of the Earth's clouds could cool the entire planet by about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius.

The appearance of the marine cloud whitening generator unveiled by Southern Cross University.
[Photo by Wall Street Journal]

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The experiment was conducted this month near the Great Barrier Reef, a coral reef area in northeastern Australia where mass coral die-offs are occurring due to warming, as part of a coral restoration project. The researchers sprayed the saltwater mixture into low-altitude clouds formed over the sea using a generator equipped with high-pressure nozzles.

Foreign media reported, "The experiments conducted this year only in Australia, the United States, and Israel will require international cooperation and enormous costs to be deployed worldwide."

However, there are concerns about adverse effects. Michael Diamond, an assistant professor of meteorology and environmental science at Florida State University, pointed out about the cloud brightening experiment, "It is questionable whether it can remain above the clouds and become bright enough to bring about change."

Dan Jørgensen, Denmark's Minister for Global Climate Policy, also expressed the opinion that the experiment should be approached cautiously. He said, "Once we start interfering with nature, there is a risk of uncontrollable and unpredictable negative consequences."

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