Inside the most sophisticated plan for solar geoengineering

Catalyst · 1 Jul 2026 · 37m

What this episode covers

Yanai Yedvab, CEO and co-founder of Stardust Solutions, explains the company's proprietary solar radiation management (SRM) technology, which uses biodegradable amorphous silica and calcite particles instead of toxic sulfuric acid to cool the planet. Yedvab details the estimated cost of $100 million per million tons of particles and the 'clinical trial' approach to testing, emphasizing that deployment requires strict authorization from multiple governments to mitigate moral hazard and governance risks. The discussion covers the technical challenges of stratospheric injection, the potential for ozone layer depletion, and the ethical imperative of providing safe options alongside decarbonization efforts.

Mentioned

Companies
Stardust Solutions, Energy Impact Partners, Moderna, BioNTech
Also
Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol

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