New research clarifies that the use of stratospheric aerosol injections (SAI)—tiny sunlight-reflecting particles dispersed in the atmosphere—could be a very bad idea.

SAI is a theoretical technique to cool down our rapidly warming planet. The theory is that, akin to volcanic eruptions, these particles in the upper atmosphere would reflect some of the sunlight away from Earth. While some researchers are seriously considering this approach, a study published yesterday in the journal Scientific Reports sets the record straight in terms of the practical physical, political, and economic contexts.

“Even when simulations of SAI in climate models are sophisticated, they’re necessarily going to be idealized. Researchers model the perfect particles that are the perfect size. And in the simulati

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