SCoPEx said its ongoing experiment aims to improve computer models of solar geoengineering by obtaining some real-world data about how chemicals react in the skies. Harvard researchers proposed a small-scale experiment that would spray aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect some sunlight back into space, a technology aimed at minimizing global warming. In a December 2020 Boston Globe editorial, he wrote: Why the sharp divergence between media and science? Although . As noted by Nature in 2018, the concept in a broad sense is designed to spray particles into the stratosphere that may cool the planet by reflecting some of the Sun's rays. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. They're capable of withstanding high winds and snow loads, they're anti-reflective, and extremely versatile. It is true that no one knows what will happen until the CaCO3 is released and then studied afterward. David Keith has proposed the creation of a risk pool to compensate smaller nations for collateral damage caused by such tests, but such a payout might be little comfort to those displaced by unlivable conditions. The geoengineering project is an attempt to cool the earth's overall temperature. "It doesn't guarantee they'll make the right decision. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Solar geoengineering, also known as radiation management, is based on the idea of using technologies to fight climate change by reflecting sunlight back into space. This is geoengineerings addiction problem, often called its moral hazard. "One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain.". False: The claim is demonstrably false. Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has been supporting a wide array of research on geoengineering since 2007, ScienceInsider has learned. Doing serious investigation of what its risks are and how well it could work provides the next generation with better information to make a more informed decision. It sounds very much like the plot of one science fiction movie in particularnamely Bong Joon-hos 2013 film Snowpiercer, in which scientists release aerosols into the sky in a desperate bid to stop rampant global warming. In June 2021, some 30 groups of indigenous peoples from around the world called on Harvard University to abandon the Gates-backed plans to test its solar geoengineering tech with the help of the Swedish Space Corporation. A small amount of the substance, between 100g to 2kg, will be released to create an air mass roughly one kilometer long and one hundred meters in diameter. Bill Gates has been falsely accused of many villainous plans, from depopulating the Earth to pushing microchips as part of all medical procedures. The claim first surfaced in 2021 and has been previously debunked. But there's another nightmare: It's that after bringing emissions to zero, we realize in hindsight that early use of geoengineering could have saved millions of lives lost in heat waves and helped preserve some of the natural world. Scientists have devised multiple ways to block sunlight from reaching Earths atmosphere or surface. The balloon will be used to measure resulting changes, including atmospheric chemistry. Such geoengineering . Claim that Bill Gates is scheming to block the sun is wrong If Your Time is short Harvard researchers proposed a small-scale experiment that would spray aerosols into the atmosphere to. The experiment involves launching a high-altitude balloon about 12 miles into the atmosphere, according to its website. This is why, SCoPEx says, most research has focused on an aerosol chemical already found in the stratosphere: sulfuric acid, which is a pollutant. The UN document correctly indicates that volcanic eruptions sometimes fill the skies with ash or sulfur, dim the sun for years, and lead to measurable global cooling episodes. (Photo by: VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images), Santa Clara, California 27 September, 2014 Global, March Against Chemtrails and Geoengineering, YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA - JANUARY 07: Lava runs down, from Mount Merapi as the volcanic activity increases on January 7, 2021 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Bill Gates wants to spray millions of tonnes of dust into the stratosphere to stop global warming but critics fear it could trigger calamity, The world needs to explore solar geoengineering as a tool to fight climate change, SCoPEx: Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, Stratospheric controlled perturbation experiment:a small-scale experiment toimprove understanding of therisks of solar geoengineering, Claims that Bill Gates is going to block the sun lack context, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. STOP HIM. Gates did not personally hatch a plan, nor is he or anyone scheming to block out the sun. This will likely postpone the platform launch until 2022, the committee said. His grant-making research fund, the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research, partially finances the project. The data could improve the ability of computer models to predict how large-scale geoengineering may possibly disrupt out planet's ozone, the Harvard scientists explained. The worst case scenario is that humankind faces an extreme climate emergency, but knows nothing about even the long-shot ways to address it. The high conversion efficiency 100 watt PV panel can charge 12v /24v batteries, and it comes with a portable folding suitcase. The science has spoken. Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates has been postponed until at least 2022. After much investigation, the team settled on using calcium carbonatechalk, essentiallyas an ideal light-blocking particle. Scientists have postponed the billionaire-backed study of the controversial technology called solar geoengineering. The experiment is funded in part through Harvards Solar Geoengineering Research Program, and Bill Gates is among the donors to that program. . With assistance from Hayley Arlin and James Grant. Bill Gates is funding a controversial Harvard University 'Solar Geoengineering Research Program' which will soon launch an in-depth study researching on how to block sun rays from reaching the . Now, concerned that science fiction could end up becoming science fact in all the wrong ways, an international coalition of researchers and campaigners has called for an end to solar geoengineering plans. Geoengineering and Bill Gates blocking out the sun. One example is cloud. At its core, SCoPEx seeks to better understand the efficacy and risks of solar geoengineering. It also has made him a frequent target for conspiracy theories. The post referstoHarvard'sStratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, orSCoPEx, which is financially backed by Gates. Digital IDs were given to residents in East Palestine, Ohio, to track long term health problems like difficulty breathing before the Feb. 3 train derailment. The Gates-supported study seeks to do exploratory, small-scale experiments in the atmosphere: Calcium carbonate is a plentiful and harmless mineral thats also the active ingredient in Tums. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. Washington, DC As Keutsch has pointed out, this is not a fringe view, it is one held by several scientific bodies. SCoPEx is partially funded by Harvard's own Solar Geoengineering Research Program (SGRP), which lists Gates as one of its many philanthropic donors. If given the go-ahead, the experiment could take place in June, 2021, from the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden. The SCoPEx project is partially funded by the Harvard University Solar Geoengineering Research Program (SGRP), which lists Bill Gates as one of its philanthropic donors. Proponents of so-called solar geoengineering, such as tech billionaire Bill Gates, say techniques intended to block a portion of the solar radiation reaching the planet ought to be. This bioweapon attack on humanity cost us $20T, millions of lives, and our freedom. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. This one is easy to take on-the-go with you if you're camping, and easy to store if you're using it at home in case of a power outage. To refine these models, scientists need to know how the aerosols interact with the atmosphere on a nanoscale. In a 2010 Ted Talk, Gates argued that if society ends up in a position where global warming is bad enough that geoengineering needs to be taken seriously, it should already know and understand the process and its potential consequences. Bill Gates is now best known as a philanthropist, not the guy who started Microsoft or was the avatar for everyone's annoyance with Windows 95. The claim gained traction in mid-February as residents in the state of Texas faced deadly winter storms but continued to circulate on the social network this week. Bill Gates and Harvard want scientists to study solar geoengineering. A controversial, Bill Gates-backed sun-blocking experiment has been postponed for ethical reasons. Meanwhile China is building a generator as a second sun in order to heat the earth. BBC News edited out boos in footage of Boris Johnson arriving at the Queens Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service. USA TODAY has reached out to the poster for comment. SCoPEx is partly funded through FICER and partly funded by Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, which itself is funded by a number of foundations and other private donors, including Gates. The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology and is not an effort at widespread implementation. Bill Gates is a popular target of conspiracy theories characterizing his charitable giving as evidence of a nefarious world domination scheme. The current global governance system is unfit to develop and implement the far-reaching agreements needed to maintain fair, inclusive, and effective political control over solar geoengineering deployment, they say, noting that, for example, the United Nations Security Council, dominated by only five countries with veto power, lacks the global legitimacy that would be required to effectively regulate solar geoengineering deployment., Frank Biermann, professor of global sustainability governance at Utrecht University and one of the letters initiators, summed up the signatories stance by saying: Solar engineering is not necessary. But harmless only goes so farthe repercussions of solar geoengineering arent necessarily found in the material released, but in the unexpected effects of mixing ingredients into the stratosphere. Unlike sulfates, which can lead to ozone loss, calcium carbonate is not particularly reactive. A small amount of material is then released to create a "perturbed air mass" about 100 yards wide and a half-mile long. Other reports that misrepresented the project includeda story from the British tabloidThe Daily Mail, which warned of potential disasteras a result ofthe experiment. Is Bill Gates Funding Efforts To Block The Sun? The claim first surfaced in 2021 and has been previously debunked. The most the experiment would seek to do is release two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of non-toxic dust from a weather balloon 12 miles high in the sky. 01 Mar 2023 04:14:30 Next, they say, the technologies could be used by governments or corporations to prevent work on other, less risky methods to combat climate change, such as reducing the use of fossil fuels. February . Some people say you shouldn't even work on the insurance policy because it might make you lazy, that you'll keep eating because you know heart surgery will be there to save you. Concerned groups want a clearer understanding of consequences before the launch. These claims have. Bill Gates' "Block The Sun" Scopex Balloon Launch Experiment In Sweden Hits A Snag As Environmental Groups Express Criticism . Thats hard to say right now, but all of the scientists and backers involved are only suggesting doing researchnot taking large-scale action. Lets just say the plan doesnt work out as intended. ", BILL GATES IS PLANNING TO BLOCK OUT THE SUN. Many anti-Gates stories and memes suggest Gates philanthropic efforts' stem from things he "wants" to happen. There is documentation of bull sharks in the Great Lakes. The perfect aerosol would not immediately tamper with stratospheric chemistry at all: The only thing it would do is scatter maximum sunlight and hence cool down the planet.. "Geoengineering is a blanket term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible," Popular Mechanics reported. More than 45 heavyweight academics, law professors and writers have signed the letter, including award-winning author Amitav Ghosh, Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer professor of science and technology studies at Harvard Kennedy School, and Raymond T. Pierrehumbert, Halley professor of physics at the University of Oxford. One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain. ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. These are gathered under the umbrella term solar geoengineering. The most common and studied method is to reflect sunlight away from Earth using aerosol particles in the atmosphere, but until now, this has been seen as more of a fringe idea. The stories or tweets generally assert or imply that: Bill Gates is funding research that will literally dim the sun; that he "wants to" use this form of geoengineering as a tool to fight climate change; that SCoPEx specifically seeks to test the theory that "spraying particles into the atmosphere" can reduce warming; and that scientists think SCoPEx itself could produce global unintended consequences. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. of Solar Radiation Management," Jan. 25, 2015, Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society, "Stratospheric controlled perturbation experiment: a small-scale experiment to improve understanding of the risks of solar geoengineering," 2014, PolitiFact, "No, Bill Gates did not outline 2018 plan to depopulate the planet," May 3, 2018, PolitiFact, "No, the Gates Foundation isnt pushing microchips with all medical procedures," May 20, 2020, Popular Mechanics, "Bill Gates Will Have to Wait a While to Block the Sun," April 12, 2021, Popular Mechanics, "Bill Gates Is Thinking About Dimming the Sun," March 26, 2021, Poynter, "Claims that Bill Gates is going to block the sun lack context," April 15, 2021, Scientific American, "Solar Geoengineering Should be Investigated, Scientists Say," March 26, 2021, Snopes, "Is Bill Gates Funding Efforts To Block The Sun?" The claim that Gates is working on a way to block the sun's rays to prevent global warming isFALSE, based on our research. Slippery-slope arguments aside, this is a far cry from an attempt to geoengineer the world. Early research suggests that the substance has near-ideal optical properties that would allow it to absorb far less radiation that sulfate aerosols, causing significantly less stratospheric heating. The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. BILL GATES TOO. 20006, Florida #BillGates is buying out all of the farmlands and trying to figure out ways to block out the SUN for THREE DAYS!!! Climate research, renewables and circularity, Solar engineering would see reflective particles. Frank Keutsch, the projects principal investigator, does not know what the results might bring. This may seem like an idle distinction, but it matters. Improved understanding of these processes will help answer applied questions such as, is it possible to find aerosols that can reduce or eliminate ozone loss, without increasing other physical risks? With everyone from investors to indigenous groups involved in the process, SCoPEx will never get off the ground without a lot of diplomacy. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. For now, research into the field is fairly limited. Cocaine Bear Isnt the Only Animal Getting High. Sweden Scraps Bill Gates' Geoengineering Plot To Block The Sun. To do so, scientists need to determine whether there are aerosols that could reduce or eliminate ozone loss without increasing the chance of other risks. Keith wrote in a blog post last December there are "no easy answers" to climate change and noted that a "technology's risks depend on how it's used. El atacante en Uvalde, Texas estaba en Estados Unidos ilegalmente. If successful, this could be a step towards a second experimental stage that would release a small amount of CaCO3 dust into the atmosphere. Gates and other private donors are backing Harvard Universitys Solar Geoengineering Research Program, which will soon launch a new study researching the efficacy of blocking sunlight from reaching Earths surface. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Scientists' concerns with solar radiation management generally fall into two categories: unknowns about potential unintended consequences in the global climate system, and the possibility such a solution, by providing a technological fix, would encourage further fossil fuel use in lieu of sustainable changes. That was an atmospheric aerosol event. Gates and other private donors are supporting Harvard Universitys Solar Geoengineering Research Program, which had planned to launch a new study based in Sweden in June researching the efficacy of blocking sunlight from reaching Earths surface. Both need to be studied, and likely more. Now, some social media users are claiming that billionaire Bill Gates is planning to spray dust into the atmosphere to "block the sun" as a way to combat global warming. The World Economic Forum has its own police force. He is among the donors to a program thats funding a small-scale experiment proposed by Harvard researchers that would spray aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight back into space. Considering the unknown risks attached to solar geoengineering, OECD members should continue in their efforts to develop economically attractive renewable energy technology, even as it supplements such efforts with limited and careful research and experimentation. The world's richest man has provided at least $4.5 million of his own money over 3 years for the study of methods that could alter the stratosphere to reflect solar energy, techniques to filter carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, and brighten . Bill Gates funded the study. In 2015, the National Academies of Sciences, for example, released a two-part report on climate interventions like solar radiation management. Keith, who manages a multimillion dollar geoengineering research fund provided by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, previously commissioned a study by a US aerospace company that made the case for the . Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates has . Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Some have alleged Gates wants to block the sun. Widespread use of technology that dims natural sunlight to help fight climate change should only be used as a last resort, scientists have warned. released into the stratosphere to reflect the sun's light back into space, theoretically cooling the planet. Gates did not create such a plan. The only reason the experiment was in the news in December 2020, for instance, is because the project found a company to facilitate the launch of a weather balloon. Anyone new to solar panels should start with a good kit, like this one by Renology. 1800 I Street NW As such, the solar geoengineering technology used for SCoPEx is still at a theoretical stage as of . MSFT Those responsible must be held to account or it will happen again and again until world government. The SCoPEx project is partially funded by the Harvard University Solar Geoengineering Research Program (SGRP), which lists Bill Gates as one of its philanthropic donors. Bill Gates has provided undisclosed amounts of funding to academic research into solar geoengineering research, which in turn helps to fund the SCoPEx project. If you want to really go all out, you can't go wrong with Renology's 10-piece, 300-watt solar panels. Bill Gates' Savior Complex Spirals Out of Control, Funds Sun-Dimming Plan To Save the Human Race, says concerns like these are not supported by science, Fact check: Bill Gates is not planning to microchip the world through a COVID-19 vaccine, Planned Harvard balloon test in Sweden stirs solar geoengineering unease, Bill Gates' Savior Complex Spirals Out of Control, Funds Sun-Dimming Plan To Save the Human Race, Could dimming the sun save the Earth? The claim: Bill Gates is working to block the sun to prevent global warming Bill Gates' wealth has allowed him to donate and invest in projects across the globe. The arguments underlying these concerns are outside the scope of this article, but a central feature of misinformed reporting on SCoPEx involves conflating scientists' or activists' views on solar radiation management in general with fears about SCoPEx specifically. . Neither is it desirable, ethical, or politically governable.. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested the SCoPEx procedure could lower global temperatures by a full 1.5 C for no more than $1-10 billion a year. Calcium carbonate is a nontoxic chemical commonly found in nature.