Blocking the sun to cool the Earth is not an effective solution because it can solve global warming, but creates other concerns.
According to the Daily Mail, the current leading theory is the ability to shoot sulphate particles in spray form into the atmosphere to block sunlight , causing the Earth’s temperature to drop.
Blocking sunlight will harm the agricultural industry.
But later research into the time when the Earth cooled down because of volcanic eruptions, showed that this would have a devastating effect on agriculture, the main source of human food.
The scientists concluded that blocking sunlight would cause a significant reduction in crop yields, which in turn was not an effective way to deal with global warming.
The study took a model of the Pinatubo volcano, which once spewed 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) into the atmosphere. This reduces the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth by 2.5% and thereby reduces the global temperature by half a degree Celsius.
But research by scientists from the University of Berkeley, California, also shows that this is not a feasible way.
One of the most likely methods is to block sunlight to cool the Earth.
“Shedding the Earth from the Sun would make the Earth cooler, but it would be harmful to plants,” the researchers said. That’s because plants also need light to grow.
The team linked corn, soybean, rice, and wheat production from 105 countries between 1979 and 2009 to see how climate change would affect agriculture.
The team determined that a lack of sunlight would reverse the goal of protecting plants from extreme temperatures . “In the end, you go back to where you started without solving the problem.”
Despite such a conclusion, experts say it still needs to be tested in the field to know exactly what happens, and other areas could benefit from the cooling of the Earth.