Dimming the Sun to Save the World | Stardust CEO Yanai Yedvab on Solving Climate Change by 2050

Yanai Yedvab thinks we need to completely overhaul the infrastructure of humanity to avoid a climate disaster, and we can't afford to wait the 70 years it’ll take to wean off fossil fuels. Before founding Stardust, Yanai spent nearly three decades in Israeli nuclear research, ending up as deputy chief scientist at the Israel Atomic Energy Commission. Stardust is developing reflective particles to disperse into the upper atmosphere that will buy us the several decades we need to transition into a low-carbon economy. We sat down in New York to talk about how the technology works, the dangers at stake if we do nothing, and Yanai's radical optimism in spite of everything. Stardust Publication on Safety: https://www.stardustsolutions.com/scienceStardust Publication on Ethics: https://www.stardustsolutions.com/guiding-principlesExtended Show Notes: https://finnmurphyirl.substack.com/p/191c8d8c-50a1-42d4-a44e-03e618b9d359Transcript (with helpful links!): https://finnmurphyirl.substack.com/p/c04e6ebb-d1e8-4cbf-97d3-fee104f21536Chapters:00:00 Intro01:10 From Nuclear Physics to The Climate Crisis04:01 The Failure of Climate Activism05:28 How Solar Reflective Technology Works09:12 The 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo12:01 The Montreal Protocol and How to Negotiate in a World at War16:03 Buying Time: Weaning off Fossil Fuels Will Take 50-70 Years18:55 Data Centers, Fission, and Fusion19:59 Preparing for Emergencies the Israeli Way23:40 Radical Transparency: The Only Way To Gain Trust27:05 Persuading the Policymakers33:05 Unlimited Ambition is What Will Save the World35:10 Stardust Will Unlock Quantum Leaps in Weather Prediction36:54 Stardust in 205040:20 Why Stardust Has to Be a Private Company45:32 Optimism for the Future is RationalYanai Yedvab is a nuclear physicist, former deputy chief scientist at the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, and the co-founder and CEO of Stardust, a solar geoengineering company.Stardust: https://www.stardustsolutions.com/Forecast 2050 is a series about the next 25 years—and the builders, thinkers, and leaders shaping what comes next. Finn on X: https://x.com/FinnMurphy12Finn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-murphy-16160465/Nebular is a venture capital firm based in New York City. Head to nebular.vc for more info.