Can brighter clouds cool Earth? Marine cloud brightening (MCB) is a proposed solar radiation modification strategy that could reflect sunlight, cool ocean regions, and potentially reduce dangerous heat. But can it actually work at scale, and what risks might come with it? In this episode, climate scientist and CSEi Research Fellow Dr. Jessica Wan explains how MCB works, why researchers are studying sea salt aerosols and marine stratocumulus clouds, and what climate models reveal about unintended effects on weather, heatwaves, rainfall, and global circulation. The conversation explores geoengineering, climate intervention, El Niño, regional cooling, governance, and the major uncertainties surrounding marine cloud brightening as a response to climate change.
CSEI Podcast episode·Apr 9, 2026
MCB: Can Brighter Clouds Cool the Planet? with Dr. Jessica Wan
via Oceanography
Climate scientist and CSEi Research Fellow Jessica Wan joined the Oceanography podcast to explain how marine cloud brightening (MCB) works, and what climate models reveal about MCB's unintended effects.