SilverLining is celebrating its five-year anniversary. At this milestone, we are reflecting on our progress across the many initiatives that collectively deliver against our mission of ensuring a safe near-term climate.

On December 18th, a volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula began an extended eruption. We are thinking of everyone impacted by the eruption and wishing for safety for residents, first responders, and the community. While the eruption is disruptive and dangerous, it is also a powerful natural experiment for the study of the effects of aerosols on clouds, atmosphere and climate. 

Emerging from the global climate summit, COP28, the world is at a pivotal moment. Progress was made, including major commitments to reduce the super-polluting greenhouse gases that cause exorbitant near-term warming and commitments for Loss and Damage funds to help developing countries adapt to the impacts of warming that they did not cause. But as the climate experiences record extremes and approaches dangerous thresholds for warming, enormous work remains. With increasing acknowledgement that targets cannot be met, we now have a moral imperative to invest in research on climate interventions to assess their potential to reduce harm.

Recently, the SilverLining team had the privilege to participate in and support a remarkable event held by youth-led Operaatio Arktis in Helsinki, Finland.