Israeli Startup Reveals Plan to Cool Earth by 1.5°C

A small team of scientists in Israel just shared a recipe that could help address one of humanity's biggest challenges.

Stardust Solutions, a tech company led by former Israeli nuclear program experts, revealed this week what its climate-cooling particles are actually made of. The ingredients? Amorphous silica, a common food additive, and calcium carbonate, the same mineral found in eggshells and limestone.

The concept is straightforward. Disperse millions of tons of these tiny particles at high altitude, where they reflect sunlight away from Earth, gradually cooling the planet. The company estimates that an initial project could reduce global temperatures by 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"This is a very powerful tool that will be ready for testing very soon," said CEO Yanai Yedvab. He wants policymakers to start planning how such a project could work in practice.

Founded in 2023, Stardust has already secured $75 million in funding and applied for a patent. The company operates from a lab in Ness Ziona, south of Tel Aviv, though it's registered as a US company with an Israeli subsidiary.

So far, testing has only happened in the laboratory. Stardust says it won't conduct outdoor tests without partnering with a government to establish clear rules and limits.

The Bright Side

The company has developed two types of particles. The first can reflect up to one percent of sunlight, while a second version still in testing could reflect even more.

Stardust executives estimate a starting project would cost around $10 billion and require roughly 10 million tons of particles dispersed over several years. They emphasize the particles are biodegradable, safe for people and animals, and won't accumulate in soil or oceans.

The approach has its critics. More than 600 scientists have called for an international ban on such projects, and Tennessee and Florida have already outlawed geoengineering. Some worry about unintended consequences or that cooling technology might reduce pressure to cut emissions.

But as global temperatures continue rising, many researchers and environmentalists have grown more open to studying solar geoengineering methods. The conversation is shifting from whether to explore these solutions to how they might work responsibly.

The transparency matters. By publishing research papers and revealing their formula, Stardust is inviting scientific scrutiny and public discussion about a technology that could affect everyone on the planet.