Scientists Propose $200 Trillion Diamond Dust Plan to Cool Earth

Diamonds to the rescue! A surprising potential solution to climate change could involve the very gems known as a girl’s best friend. A team of climatologists, meteorologists, and Earth scientists suggests that, although it might sound strange, diamonds could one day play a role in cooling down the planet.

The researchers explored the idea of releasing diamond dust into the atmosphere from airplanes as a possible method to reverse global warming.

As the Earth continues to heat up, some experts believe we’ve already crossed a critical threshold, and drastic measures are necessary to cool the planet. Simply reducing greenhouse gas emissions may no longer be enough.

Scientists agree that injecting aerosols into the atmosphere could help by reflecting sunlight and heat back into space. Sulfur dioxide, which naturally enters the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions, has been a leading option. However, its side effects—including acid rain, ozone layer damage, and unpredictable weather changes—have forced researchers to seek other alternatives.

At the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich, researchers conducted a study using a 3D climate model to test various aerosols. They evaluated how each interacted with light and heat, their stability in the air, their tendency to clump together, and how they would eventually return to Earth.

Diamonds emerged as an unexpected solution. In their experiments, the researchers tested seven candidates: calcite, diamond, aluminum, silicon carbide, anatase, rutile, and sulfur dioxide. Diamond dust proved to be the most effective, reflecting the most sunlight and heat while staying airborne long enough to be effective. It was also less likely to clump and trap heat. Plus, because diamonds are chemically inert, they wouldn’t lead to acid rain.

However, using diamonds comes with a hefty price. The researchers estimated that cooling the Earth by about 1.6°C over 45 years would require five million tonnes of synthetic diamond dust to be injected into the atmosphere each year, at a staggering cost of $200 trillion.

The process also faces significant technological and logistical hurdles. Current manufacturing and infrastructure are not yet capable of producing and deploying diamond dust at such a large scale. Additionally, a specialized aircraft or spacecraft would be needed to release the particles at the correct altitude globally.

Despite the challenges, the idea of using diamond dust offers a glimpse into the creative solutions scientists are exploring to combat climate change.