And thats what this news really is: keeping options open and exploring the ramifications of a radical technology. Fact check: Bill Gates is not trying to 'block the sun's rays' in the name of climate change. 20006, Florida For one thing, the methods could have unintended consequences on global weather patterns. Aerosols are the gaseous clouds formed by particles of many common materials. This may seem like an idle distinction, but it matters. 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. A small amount of material is then released to create a "perturbed air mass" about 100 yards wide and a half-mile long. 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 . Geoengineering is the term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible. Prominent campaigner Greta Thunberg came out in support of the indigenous peoples and against solar geoengineering. But there is no suggestion he. SCoPEx planned a small pilot experiment, with the rationale that we need to scrutinize and consider the idea of solar geoengineering today so we dont end up relying on a totally untested technology in the future. Suggests root canals are linked to breast cancer. The claim among Twitter users is that Gates' involvement with the academic project is somehow nefarious, and that he ultimately wants to "block the sun" from the Earth. Bill Gates' "Block The Sun" Scopex Balloon Launch Experiment In Sweden Hits A Snag As Environmental Groups Express Criticism . This material may not be reproduced without permission. Fluoride.. Snopes said SCoPEx is also financed by the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research (FICER), a fund for research grants co-created by Gates in 2007. 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. Advertisement - story continues below Now, apparently, he wants to save us from the sun. First, they point to the unknown risks: deploying solar geoengineering tech could backfire, potentially catastrophically. 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. Geoengineering and Bill Gates blocking out the sun. The launch will not release any stratospheric aerosols. Geoengineering is a blanket term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible. 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. Gates only connection to the research is through his donation to Harvards Solar Geoengineering Research Program, which is providing part of the funding for the project. 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. Concerned groups want a clearer understanding of consequences before the launch. The risks of solar geoengineering are poorly understood and can never be fully known, the scholars say. As such, the solar geoengineering technology used for SCoPEx is still at a theoretical stage as of . 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 considered. China threatens to shoot Nancy Pelosis plane down if she visits Taiwan., Know what they always find in Alzheimers patients? Bill Gates Is Thinking About Dimming the Sun, Everything You Need to Know About the Sun, These Are the 13 Biggest Planes in the World, want scientists to study solar geoengineering, Harvard Universitys Solar Geoengineering Research Program, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. ", Ultimately, Keith said that more study was needed, writing: "It would be crazy to start deploying solar geoengineering today. The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology and is not an effort at widespread implementation. #BillGates is buying out all of the farmlands and trying to figure out ways to block out the SUN for THREE DAYS!!! The meteor strike that might have killed the dinosaurs blanketed the Earth in a layer of aerosol dust. 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. Bill Gates has been falsely accused of many villainous plans, from depopulating the Earth to pushing microchips as part of all medical procedures. 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. Recently, social media users are claiming Gates is working to block the sun's rays to combat global warming. It's made ofPET, EVA and monocrystalline silicon, and it'santi-reflective andhigh transparency. If you live somewhere with low light, you might be worried that solar panels aren't for you, but these actually perform excellently in low light conditions. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. 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 SCoPEx researcher and Harvard professor David Keithsays concerns like these are not supported by science. 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. Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates has been postponed until at least 2022. 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 balloon will be used to measure resulting changes, including atmospheric chemistry. USA TODAY has reached out to the poster for comment. "It doesn't guarantee they'll make the right decision. Large scale use of the processknown as solar geoengineeringis a "terrifying" concept that is only likely to be used in the future if significant regions of the planet become too warm to be habitable, Harvard University Professor Frank Keutsch told The Times. Rather, it will serve as a test to maneuver the balloon and examine communications and operational systems. Bill Gates has provided undisclosed amounts of funding to academic research into solar geoengineering research, which in turn helps to fund the SCoPEx project. The exact amount of CaCO3 needed to cool the planet is unknown, and SCoPEx scientists similarly cannot confirm whether it is the best stratospheric aerosol for the job. 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. 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. Never far away from a plot to destroy, control and profiteer, since early last year Bill Gates and other private donors have funded Harvard University's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, SCoPEx, to study effective ways to block sunlight from reaching Earth's surface. These claims have. 33701 Solar geoengineering is a subfield of geoengineering, which refers to efforts to alter the environment to limit the effects of climate change. BBC News edited out boos in footage of Boris Johnson arriving at the Queens Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service. Bill Gates' wealth has allowed him to donate and invest in projects across the globe. Calcium carbonate is a nontoxic chemical commonly found in nature. 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. 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. The speculative possibility of future solar geoengineering risks becoming a powerful argument for industry lobbyists, climate denialists, and some governments to delay decarbonization policies, the authors write. Despite simmering on the internet in recent weeks, Google Trends data suggested that people are still searching for answers. Ultimately, Gates' involvement is financial. Franklin Jacome/Agencia Press South/Getty Images, lists Bill Gates as one of its philanthropic donors, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Sweden Scraps Bill Gates' Geoengineering Plot To Block The Sun. Frank Keutsch, the projects principal investigator, does not know what the results might bring. American journalist Jack Posobiec was arrested at World Economic Forum., The Uvalde, Texas, mass shooter was an illegal alien., Says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants Americas sons and daughters to go die in Ukraine., In Ohio, there are 75,000 acres of farmland, fertile farmland, that are all now being poured down with acid rain., Muslims by the millions are converting to Christianity.. "Decision-makers and the public they serve need balanced information about the effectiveness and risks of geoengineering," he wrote in that editorial. Meanwhile, for a new prepublication report, the NASEM convened a committee of 16 international science luminaries to develop solar geoengineering research. Bill Gates and Harvard want scientists to study solar geoengineering. Daily Star, "Bill Gates hatches 'horribly stupid' plan to block out the Sun - just like Mr Burns," Feb. 21, 2022, David Keiths Research Group, "Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research," accessed Feb. 25, 2022, Harvards Solar Geoengineering Research Program, "Funding," accessed Feb. 25, 2022, Keutsch Group at Harvard, "SCoPEx," accessed Feb. 25, 2022, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, "New Report Says U.S. Should Cautiously Pursue Solar Geoengineering Research to Better Understand Options for Responding to Climate Change Risks," March 25, 2021, Natural Resources Defense Council, "The Dept. If you want to really go all out, you can't go wrong with Renology's 10-piece, 300-watt solar panels. 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. 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. David Keith, a professor of applied physics and public policy at Harvard University, recognizes the very many real concerns of geoengineering. As previously detailed by Snopes, a fact-checking organization, the assertion is largely based on sensationalist reports about the scope and ability of the SCoPEx project. 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 attempting to block the sun in order to keep the Earth more cool." Days later, on Monday night, Tucker Carlson dog-whistled to conspiracy theorists, telling Fox News viewers that "your body" is "Bill Gates' body now," because the Microsoft founder is helping to fund global COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The incremental nature of SCoPEx cannot be understated. Meanwhile China is building a generator as a second sun in order to heat the earth. District of Columbia Such statements describe popularly held concerns about the concept of geoengineering as a whole. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. Bill Gates's PR companies are again reporting on a UN study that is pushing for atmospheric modification to block the sun. The Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx), launched by Harvard University scientists, aims to examine this solution by spraying non-toxic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dust into the atmosphere a sun-reflecting aerosol that may offset the effects of global warming. Bill Gates, Harvard, To Begin Blocking Sun In Spring Of 2019. In terms of solar radiation management, that is not the case. 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. New Findings Warn Earth Could Break Key Warming Barrier In 2033, Should Climate Scientists Stop Doing Research? The project is supported in part by philanthropist Bill Gates through SEAS's Solar Geoengineering Research Program. . MSFT 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. Bill Gates ' involvement with a geo-engineering experiment aimed at slowing climate breakdown has prompted viral conspiracy-laden claims centred around the idea that he "wants to block out the sun". The article shared in the Facebook post also falsely claims that the experiment will "kick off in June." Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com, A project funded by Bill Gates "would help block out the sun. Rather, the project seeks to understand the potential risks of geoengineering. With everyone from investors to indigenous groups involved in the process, SCoPEx will never get off the ground without a lot of diplomacy. Suggests a January traffic accident involving lab monkeys was responsible for spreading monkeypox to humans. In the future, a small amount of the dustbetween 100g to 2kgwould be released to study atmospheric changes. We should also note Gates' involvement in the SCoPEx project is purely financial. Gates and other private donors are supporting Harvard University's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, which had planned to launch a new study based in Sweden in June researching the. But there is no suggestion he is in favor of blocking all sunlight from reaching Earth. Bill Gates is investing in research to build sun-dimming technologies which could reverse global warming. It's perhaps equally crazy to keep ignoring it. Despite the concern, Keutsch is leading a project to study such technology, which could start later this year. Such geoengineering . 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.". Opponents believe such science comes with unpredictable risks, including extreme shifts in weather patterns not dissimilar to warming trends we are already witnessing. Gates' financial involvement with SCoPEx has been documented since November 2018. February . Microsofts After Reuters reported on the effort in December 2020, the conservative Western Journal published a piecetitled "Bill Gates' Savior Complex Spirals Out of Control, Funds Sun-Dimming Plan To Save the Human Race," in which the writer portrays the project as a threat to humanity. Proponents of solar geoengineering, also known as solar radiation modification, say deployment of the technology could be a shortcut to slow a rise in global temperatures that is stoking more. While Gates is one of geoengineering research's most significant (at least in financial terms) champions, his funding of this research does not stem from a desire to implement so-called "last-ditch" solutions. Know what makes your body hoard aluminum? The United States, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia blocked a 2019 United Nations assessment of global geoengineering plans. The Justice Department has been calling parents that are concerned about what their kids are being taught, they are labeling them terrorists., Sen. Marco Rubio signed a 2021 letter that supports waivers that would reduce visual track inspections.. The World Economic Forum has its own police force. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 , which temporarily cooled our planet by 0.5 degrees C. Those responsible must be held to account or it will happen again and again until world government. 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. 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. Freezing temperatures in 1815 led to failed crops in near-famine conditions. This week, the influential National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) also released a new report urging the U.S. government to spend at least $100 million to study solar geoengineering, a controversial technology.