Top scientists involved with solar radiation modification (SRM) include David Keith and Kelly Wanser, who are leading figures in research and funding for projects like marine cloud brightening and stratospheric aerosol injection. Others include James Hansen, who has advocated for accelerated research, and Roger Revelle and Tom Schelling, who were early proponents in the 1960s and 1980s.

David Keith

A professor at the University of Chicago. Keith has dedicated much of his career to studying solar geoengineering and is today’s leading voice in the field.

David Keith proposes using sulfur dioxide pollutants in the stratosphere to “reduce global warming”, drawing parallels to the cooling effect of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption.

Ken Caldeira

An American atmospheric scientist at Stanford University and Senior Scientist at Gates Ventures.

In 2007, Caldeira began advising Bill Gates on climate change and energy issues. In his 2016 end-of-year blog post, Gates referred to Caldeira as "my amazing teacher".

His areas of research include intentional climate modification.

Kelly Wanser

A former tech executive who established the marine cloud brightening project and founded the non-profit SilverLining to fund near-term climate intervention research.

“The science related to solar radiation modification is the base of science related to aerosols in the atmosphere, It’s a really critical, central area of climate science that we haven’t invested in well enough. It’s the biggest source of uncertainty in our climate projections.”

James Hansen

As a former director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a climate scientist at Columbia University, he has called for accelerated research into SRM.

James Hansen is famous for his 1988 testimony to Congress, which helped launch public hysteria on “climate change”.

He has advocated for planet-wide geoengineering to reflect the sun's rays.

Daniel Schrag

A professor at Harvard University, he has been involved in geoengineering research and workshops with David Keith, including those related to the Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program.

Roger Revelle

In 1965, Revelle was a key figure in drafting a report for President Lyndon B. Johnson that discussed the role of solar geoengineering in offsetting “climate change”.

Thomas Schnelling

He chaired a National Academy of Sciences committee in 1980 whose report, "Changing Climate," addressed the potential of solar geoengineering.

Frank Keutsch

A Harvard professor who has worked with David Keith on projects like the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) to study atmospheric chemistry and the effects of aerosols in the stratosphere.

Kate Hamer

NERC Director, Strategy & Analysis, who is involved in geoengineering research.

Jim Haywood

A Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Exeter who is a researcher in the field of Geoengineering.

Sebastian Eastham

A Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Aviation at Imperial College London who is also a geoengineering researcher.

Katharine Hayhoe

An atmospheric scientist whose work focuses on climate change. She is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where she leads the organization's scientific efforts.