Trust me, I'm a geoengineer

The news team at TNW is basically a bunch of tech enthusiasts writing mainly for like-minded people who see the beauty in technology and believe it can make the world better for everyone. But sooner or later even the most positive attitude towards engineering marvels runs into an exception.

For our colleague Siôn Geschwindt that exception took the form of "solar geoengineering" startups that want to manually change the planet's climate by shooting dust into the Earth's atmosphere.

At first glance, the idea sounds reasonably cool, almost like an IRL sci-fi movie. It also adds a satisfying feeling of being in control of the climate, of being able to quickly and easily press Ctrl-Z on all the polluting practices that have taken place on this planet in the past few decades.

That feeling, however, is deceitful — and dangerous. The geoengineering approach, as it turns out, doesn't quite care about a whole lot of unforeseen consequences for the climate itself and the urgency with which we treat climate change.

Check out Siôn's story for more details and the latest updates on the EU's approach to solar geoengineering. 👇

Opinion: We can’t engineer ourselves out of the climate crisis

What else we’re writing about

🇫🇷 Emmanuel Macron has a new scapegoat for the riots engulfing France. As violent protests spread across his nation, the president first blamed social networks and parents, before pointing the finger at a beloved boogeyman: video games. Thomas Macaulay reminds us that there's no scientific evidence to support this kind of claims, and the other social ills video games have been blamed for over the years.

🇸🇪 Time to ditch Google Analytics? In a significant first for Europe, Sweden’s privacy watchdog has fined two companies for transferring personal data to the US via Google Analytics. In addition, it is urging other firms to stop using Google’s web statistics tool.

⚡️ From the Airbnb of home chargers to hub-style sites along arterial routes, a number of startups are on a mission to upgrade Ireland’s meagre EV charging network. Chris Baraniuk dove deep into the industry and came back with a great overview of some of the most interesting companies in the field, their solutions, and challenges they're still facing.

✈️ German startup Lilium got the design of its all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet approved by the FAA. There are still three more steps to go before the authorities issue a type certificate, but the startup is positive it will be able to start global operations in late 2025.

Keep on shining, people. Until next time!