David Keith, a Harvard University professor also spearheading the SCoPEx project, said solar geoengineering will likely complement other carbon reduction methods, but noted it will be future generations that will ultimately have to live with the potential consequences. The researchers behind the forthcoming Harvard project, the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx), say we must study solar geoengineering in case we need to take a drastic action against climate change. Bill Gates Will Have to Wait to Block the Sun, Bill Gates Is Thinking About Dimming the Sun, USAF's Reactor Creates Jet Fuel Out of Water, Air, Bill Gates-backed sun-blocking experiment, solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates, Harvard Universitys Solar Geoengineering Research Program, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. One of the more controversial suggestions is that we should simply prevent so much heat reaching Earth in the first place. But there is no suggestion he. 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. Researcher Chris Field writes: Chapters in the report include the role of philanthropists like Gates, the goals of preparing future political decisionmakers, and the state of existing research about solar geoengineering. Is Bill Gates Funding Efforts To Block The Sun? "To date, nobody has been able to show that there is a law for the average American citizen working day in and day out to pay an income tax.". It's relatively budget-friendly (solar panels can get expensive fast) and it performs. For his part, SCoPEx researcher and Harvard Professor Frank Keutsch has argued that concerns like these are unsupported by scientific research and motivated more by fears about geoengineering being a problematic, pro-fossil fuel solution to global warming. Both need to be studied, and likely more. And thats what this news really is: keeping options open and exploring the ramifications of a radical technology. Bill Gates Is Thinking About Dimming the Sun In late 2022, the startup Make Sunsets announced that it was injecting small amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere as an experiment in solar. One that has persisted in recent weeks involves an experiment by a team of scientists at Harvard University, known as the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx), that is testing aerosols that might be relevant to solar geoengineering. This is the purpose of the experiment: once a safe, experimental amount of CaCO3 is released, the balloon will fly through it, sampling atmospheric reactions and recording resulting dynamics. Then where do you go? The Earth is warming rapidly as a result of human-caused emissions. That was an atmospheric aerosol event. Geoengineering is the term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible. Bill Gates Is Thinking About Dimming the Sun Geoengineering is the term for technologies that try to alter Earth's physical qualities on the largest scale possible. Environmentalists similarly fear that a dramatic shift in mitigation strategy will be treated as a green light to continue emitting greenhouse gases with little to no changes in current consumption and production patterns. 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. 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 ultimate point of SCoPEx project is not to dim anything scientists do not need to test whether aerosols block sunlight, that fact is already well established but instead to release a small amount of the calcium carbonate (no more than 4.4 pounds) into the wake of a propeller-driven weather balloon flying 12 miles above the arctic, creating a diffuse cloud that is roughly 1000 yards long and 100 yards in diameter. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. With assistance from Hayley Arlin and James Grant. Freezing temperatures in 1815 led to failed crops in near-famine conditions. 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. Gates did not personally hatch a plan, nor is he or anyone scheming to block out the sun. Scientists have postponed the billionaire-backed study of the controversial technology called solar geoengineering. The meteor strike that might have killed the dinosaurs blanketed the Earth in a layer of aerosol dust. Geoengineering and Bill Gates blocking out the sun. Bill Gates is a popular target of conspiracy theories characterizing his charitable giving as evidence of a nefarious world domination scheme. We need your help. Rather, it will serve as a test to maneuver the balloon and examine communications and operational systems. Brain Organoids Are Alive, But Are They Conscious? The geoengineering project is an attempt to cool the earth's overall temperature. Why Trust Us? The team noted: "The test will pose no significant hazard to people or the environment. "Grants for research are provided to Harvard University from gifts made by Bill Gates from his personal funds," the Harvard University website has said, noting the activities of the grant fund are totally unrelated to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. . Unlike sulfates, which can lead to ozone loss, calcium carbonate is not particularly reactive. The World Economic Forum has its own police force. In an open letter, the 16 initiators of the Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreementall scholars in their own rightargue there are three main grounds for preventing the use of such technologies. . One way of doing that is by pulling carbon dioxide. These Experts Say Yes. 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. If you aren't really sure where to start, this solar panel is a failsafe option. "Decision-makers and the public they serve need balanced information about the effectiveness and risks of geoengineering," he wrote in that editorial. ", Explaining the balancing act, he continued: "People are right to fear over-reliance on technofixes. 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. MSFT A review is ongoing to determine if the proposed balloon launch alongside the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) can go ahead. Microsoft founder Bill Gates delivers a speech at the conference of Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria on October 10, 2019, in France. Headlines or statements to the contrary rely on "slippery slope" arguments about geoengineering in general, not a fear that SCoPEx itself could destroy the world. "The risks of solar geoengineering are poorly understood and can never be fully known," dozens of scientists wrote in an open letter to governments last year, imploring them to prohibit the technology. The experiment involves launching a high-altitude balloon about 12 miles into the atmosphere, according to its website. But even this flight still months away and pending approval from Harvard's outside advisory committee is only a test of the balloon, and would not release its theoretical payload of just under 3 1/2 pounds of calcium carbonate powder. After much investigation, the team settled on using calcium carbonatechalk, essentiallyas an ideal light-blocking particle. 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. In fact, it would be less material than spews from airplanes, rockets or routine balloon launches. In other words, it's a very small-scale project, far from the climate-altering claims about it that have surfaced on social media. The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology. According to Snopes,. So, is all of this a good idea or not? 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. (April 22), The claim: Bill Gates is working to block the sun to prevent global warming. The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) released a . The SCoPEx experiment sought to release just a small amount of aerosol material into the sky in a specific location, but now, Harvard says even this must be considered in more detail and with ethical implications in mind. The eclipse is the first total solar eclipse since August 2017. ". Solar geoengineering is a subfield of geoengineering, which refers to efforts to alter the environment to limit the effects of climate change. In that piece, the outlet represented a Harvard University project named SCoPEx, partially funded by Gates, to be a catastrophic threat to humanity and a literal test of a form of geoengineering known as solar radiation management releasing aerosols into the atmosphere as a way to cool the planet and counter global warming. radiation, lowering the Earth's temperature by 0.6 degrees Celsius (33.08 degrees Fahrenheit.) Such statements describe popularly held concerns about the concept of geoengineering as a whole. 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. 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. District of Columbia For now, research into the field is fairly limited. The first takeoff would not release aerosols into the skies, however. Ultimately, Gates' involvement is financial. St. Petersburg, FL Fluoride.. As we see tha. The ultra-rich are on a mission to Show more . Sweden Scraps Bill Gates' Geoengineering Plot To Block The Sun. These models, the SCoPEx website explains, "are the primary tool for estimating the risks and benefits of solar geoengineering." Bill Gates's PR companies are again reporting on a UN study that is pushing for atmospheric modification to block the sun. You'll get everything you need in one, includingan100W solar panel, 30A PWM negative ground charge controller, MC4 connectors, a8Ft 10 AWG tray cable, and mounting Z brackets for an RV or boat. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. A snapshot of searches between March 1 and 2 included breakout results largely based around: "Bill Gates trying to block sun. This group signs off on major research decisions and audits SCoPEx's finances. Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.). "People are right to fear over-reliance on technofixes. Climate research, renewables and circularity, Solar engineering would see reflective particles. Fact check: Bill Gates is not trying to 'block the sun's rays' in the name of climate change. SCoPEx is partially funded by Harvard's own Solar Geoengineering Research Program (SGRP), which lists Gates as one of its many philanthropic donors. February . But in my view we have a duty to provide them with that information, so they can make those decisions in the face of really horrific climate risks.". British scientists have cited stratospheric aerosols from volcanic eruptions in Alaska and Mexico as the potential cause of drought in Africas Sahel region. Those responsible must be held to account or it will happen again and again until world government. Microsoft's MSFT -2.2% billionaire founder Bill Gates is financially backing the development of sun-dimming technology that would potentially reflect sunlight out of Earth's atmosphere,. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Microsofts She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. The Harvard scientists had planned to launch a high-altitude balloon from Esrange Space Station in Kiruna, Sweden to test whether it could in future carry equipment to release solar radiation-reflecting particles into the Earths atmosphere, AFP reports. 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. 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. 1800 I Street NW But now, Harvard says its delaying the study to examine the impact on Sweden itself, as well as the indigenous Sami people who live in the region. The test was originally scheduled for June 2021, but will be delayed until at least 2022. That's what the Harvard project, called the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, or SCoPEx, aims to fix. The data gathered during this experiment would, among other things, help inform computer models that look into the potential risks of actual geoengineering. The incremental nature of SCoPEx cannot be understated. 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. The name of the project is SCoPEx, or, Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment . Such assertions or implications are misleading in several regards described in detail below. Lastly, they ask, who would get to decide how solar geoengineering is usedand how would such a decision be fair? Bill Gates, Harvard, To Begin Blocking Sun In Spring Of 2019. So what should humanity do about it? This technology would trigger a global cooling effect," blared a viral tweet from RapTV, an . In the future, a small amount of the dustbetween 100g to 2kgwould be released to study atmospheric changes. In 2015, the National Academies of Sciences, for example, released a two-part report on climate interventions like solar radiation management. Prominent campaigner Greta Thunberg came out in support of the indigenous peoples and against solar geoengineering. El atacante en Uvalde, Texas estaba en Estados Unidos ilegalmente. Geoengineering Monitor, accessed April 23, David Keith's Research Group at Harvard University, October 19, 2020, ", Keutsch Group at Harvard, accessed April 23, ", Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society, April, 17, 2018, ", Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, accessed April 23, ", Harvard'sStratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment. Instruments carried by the balloon monitorthat region for changes inaerosol density, atmospheric chemistryand light scattering. The claim that solar geoengineering is an effort to "block out the sun" is inaccurate; the technology is a riff on a naturally occurring process. 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. 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. The claim first surfaced in 2021 and has been previously debunked by multiple fact checkers. The proposed Harvard experiment would use a high-altitude balloon to lift instruments into the atmosphere and release aerosols. NO MORE CROPS, NO FOOD, NO PLANTS NO NOTHING!!! 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. Meanwhile, for a new prepublication report, the NASEM convened a committee of 16 international science luminaries to develop solar geoengineering research. The project revolves around the concept of geoengineering, large-scale efforts to reducethe effects of climate change usually temporarily on oceans, soils and atmosphere. If the world cannot slow emissions or the effects of climate change are more extreme or occur sooner than expected, there may be demands to pursue additional climate-intervention technologies about which scientists need a better understanding, National Academy of Sciences President Ralph J. Cicerone said in a news release for that report.Although riskier ideas to lessen the amount of energy absorbed from the sun should not be considered for deployment, they should be studied so that we can provide answers if someday these ideas begin to be considered in attempts to avert catastrophe.". According to the project's website: SCoPEx will make quantitative measurements of aspects of the aerosol microphysics and atmospheric chemistry that are currently highly uncertain in the simulations. The article was shared on Facebook and was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. The United States, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia blocked a 2019 United Nations assessment of global geoengineering plans. The Western Journals reporting, and other claims in its vein, reference or combine a December 2020 Reuters story with elements of a scientifically confused profile of the SCoPEx project published in 2019 by the British tabloid Daily Mail. We do not approve legitimising development towards solar geoengineering technology, nor for it to be conducted in or above our lands, territories and skies, nor in any ecosystems anywhere, the signatories stated in a letter drafted by the Saami Council, which represents indigenous Saami people across Scandinavia and in Russia. But solar geoengineering is controversial, even according to the Harvard researchers who proposed the experiment. Bill Gates backs climate scientists lobbying for large-scale geoengineering Other wealthy individuals have also funded a series of reports into the future use of technologies to geoengineer. The letter goes on to call for five measures to be adhered to by the international community: no public funding for solar geoengineering; no outdoor experiments; no patents for solar geoengineering tech; no deployment of such tech; and no support for solar geoengineering from international institutions. The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia resulted in the year without a summer, while the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines lowered global average temperatures by 0.5 C. Deliberate introduction of similar particles could potentially counter decades of greenhouse gas emissions. Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates has . 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. He's also known for wanting to save us from ourselves. It's perhaps equally crazy to keep ignoring it. Although . The Keutsch group planned its first test flight for June 2021, which would. But the SCoPEx website says the current project's scope remains limited. Thunberg: Not too late to act in Climate fight, Climate Activist Greta Thunberg appeared virtually before a House subcommittee Thursday to call on U.S. officials to do more, saying it's "not too late" to make real changes in the fight against climate change. Bill Gates' "Block The Sun" Scopex Balloon Launch Experiment In Sweden Hits A Snag As Environmental Groups Express Criticism . If successful, this could be a step towards a second experimental stage that would release a small amount of CaCO3 dust into the atmosphere. I cover energy, security, Europe, Russia/Eurasia & the Middle East, The Sun setting into a pall of forest fire smoke, over Alberta from fires in BC and elsewhere, on August 17, 2018 This shows the dimming and reddening of the Sun as it set, with it disappearing from view long before it reached the horizon This was from home in southern Alberta, and is a Lighten blend mode stack of 20 images taken at 10 minute intervals, and shot on Auto Exposure with the Canon 6D MkII and 35mm lens The frames are part of a larger 200-frame timelapse processed with LRTimelapse. Keith and fellow SCoPEx scientists published a paper in 2017 suggesting that the dust may actually replenish the ozone layer by reacting with ozone-destroying molecules. For these reasons, and because SCoPEx does not from a factual standpoint actually dim or block the sun, we rate the claim that Gates is funding research that "would help block out the sun" as "Mostly False.". Computer modeling and laboratory work tell us some very useful things about solar geoengineering, but as with all other aspects of environmental science, computer models ultimately rest on observations of the real environment. Many anti-Gates stories and memes suggest Gates philanthropic efforts' stem from things he "wants" to happen. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. This may seem like an idle distinction, but it matters. It can fully charge a 50Ah Battery from 50% in 3 hours. Its the instigating event of the 2013 film Snowpiercer, for example, where blocking sunlight has turned Earth into a lifeless ice ball. 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. 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. It will cost several million dollars and has been funded by private donors, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Aim: dim the Sun. This bioweapon attack on humanity cost us $20T, millions of lives, and our freedom. 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. Further, a diffuse cloud of chalky powder gently perturbed by a propeller-driven weather balloon 12 miles above the arctic is in no way capable of altering the global climate system. Concerned groups want a clearer understanding of consequences before the launch. Thats hard to say right now, but all of the scientists and backers involved are only suggesting doing researchnot taking large-scale action. (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.