A new study proposes that dimming the sun through marine cloud brightening (MCB) could reduce the severity of El Niño events and their global impacts.El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon in the Pacific, exacerbates global warming and causes extreme weather patterns.Researchers suggest that reflecting sunlight back into space by spraying seawater into clouds could cool the ocean and moderate El Niño effects.

The study references the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, which released smoke into the stratosphere and triggered a rare La Niña event, as a natural experiment mimicking MCB.Models show that reducing sunlight in the Pacific could significantly lower El Niño intensity.

While geoengineering remains controversial due to unpredictable consequences and political challenges, the study argues that targeted regional interventions might be more feasible than global solutions.Critics warn of potential risks, but the research highlights the need for further study as climate change progresses.