A secretive team of researchers quietly planned a multimillion-dollar solar geoengineering test that would have sprayed saltwater over an area larger than Puerto Rico, records show — all while the public remained unaware.
A California research team that aborted a controversial cloud-seeding test on a retired aircraft carrier in Alameda last year had already been planning a far more ambitious experiment to dim the sun’s rays over a region larger than Puerto Rico, according to internal documents obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News.
Emails, funding proposals, and text messages reveal the project — backed by billionaire donors and involving the University of Washington and the nonprofit SilverLining — aimed to test saltwater-spraying machines at sea as part of a broader push into solar geoengineering.
The failed Alameda test lasted just 20 minutes before city officials shut it down, citing secrecy and lack of engagement.
“Alameda was a stepping stone to something much larger, and there wasn’t any engagement with local communities,” said Sikina Jinnah, an environmental studies professor at UC Santa Cruz.
While researchers deny any intent to manipulate the climate, critics argue the program sidestepped transparency — a move that may have jeopardized future government support.