Atmospheric scientists are testing out a method called ‘marine cloud brightening’ in Alameda County, California through May. Cloud droplets form on aerosol particles and reflect sunlight back into space. Researchers are testing sea salt spray as a means of changing cloud composition with increased small droplets that are more reflective of the sun than clouds with fewer, large droplets. Solar radiation modification is controversial because widespread use could alter weather patterns in unclear ways and potentially limit the productivity of fisheries and farms. A similar experiment by Harvard in Sweden was canceled last month following complaints.
The New York Times reported, “The idea of interfering with nature is so contentious, organizers of Tuesday’s test kept the details tightly held, concerned that critics would try to stop them.” This shows that the University of Washington (UW) scientists and their backer, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum, conspired to keep the experiment a secret rather than face scrutiny. This is more evidence that weather modification and control is not a “conspiracy theory.”