On June 15th, 1991, the densely populated island of Luzon in the Philippines awoke to an explosion that would turn out to be the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. Mount Pinatubo had erupted, releasing a huge cloud of volcanic ash, hundreds of kilometers across and 40 kilometers high. As satellites tracked the ash cloud spread around the globe several times over, atmospheric scientists noted that over the next year, the Earth's global temperature had decreased by as much as half a degree Celsius. The eruption had added around 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, a layer of the atmosphere between 10 and 50 kilometers above the surface. And this sulfur had gone on to form countless tiny aerosol particles. In the lower atmosphere, these particles would have been washed out in days, but because the stratosphere is dry and stable, these particles lasted for several years, reflecting light, and cooling the Earth.
Could the climate cooling effect of this eruption be replicated as a way to help tackle climate change? In this episode, we focus on the basics of the sunlight reflection method known as Stratospheric Aerosol Injection, or SAI, an SRM idea that looks like it could offer a practical means of halting or even reversing global warming within a few years. What is SAI? What would it take to cool the planet? And who could do it?
Featuring Dr. Daniele Visioni, an Assistant Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University and Dr. Joshua Horton, a Senior Program Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Climate Reflections is a production of SRM360, a non-profit knowledge hub supporting an informed, evidence-based discussion of sunlight reflection methods. For more information and the latest research on SRM, visit SRM360.org.
Follow us to stay updated on the latest episodes:
LinkedIn: SRM360-org
Twitter/X: SRM360_org
YouTube: SRM360org
Bluesky: SRM360
And subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts!
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.