Earlier this year, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced a new “Statewide Energy Initiative” pledging to get 50 percent of Pennsylvania’s electricity from solar power.
Simultaneously with the governor’s announcement, geoengineers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy declared their support for a proposed “solar geoengineering” project known as. It involves spraying highly reflective particles of a substance, such as sulfur, into the stratosphere to deflect sunlight and “reduce global warming.”
According to some solar industry experts, solar panels need to be between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit to be at their most effective. Therefore any attempt to deflect or reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the earth could result in a significant drop in the reliability of solar energy. Sunlight is indispensable for photosynthesis and plays a critical role in plant development and metabolism. Pennsylvania ranks among our nation’s top fifteen agricultural producers, and this effort to block sunlight could impact Pennsylvania’s farms as well as global food supplies.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.