Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. That's what the Harvard project, called the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, or SCoPEx, aims to fix. The article shared in the Facebook post also falsely claims that the experiment will "kick off in June." SCoPEx is one of those projects. Make a DIY Cigar Box Florescent Rock Display. Bill Gates, Harvard, To Begin Blocking Sun In Spring Of 2019. The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) released a . A controversial, Bill Gates-backed sun-blocking experiment has been postponed for ethical reasons. Lastly, they ask, who would get to decide how solar geoengineering is usedand how would such a decision be fair? 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". But there is no suggestion he is in favor of blocking all sunlight from reaching Earth. 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. Brain Organoids Are Alive, But Are They Conscious? In 2007, Gates created a grant-making research fund known as the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research (FICER). 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. 60 scientists write in an open letter that solar geoengineering is worth investigating as a way to keep the Earth from experiencing the most devastating effects of climate change. Anyone new to solar panels should start with a good kit, like this one by Renology. International cooperation will be required to assess the risks, winners, and losers of any such experiment, and how best to proceed with all in mind. In a report made by that body, Gates' involvement is noted, but the proportion of the project funded by Gates is not publicly disclosed. 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.. Opponents believe such science comes with unpredictable risks, including extreme shifts in weather patterns not dissimilar to warming trends we are already witnessing. 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. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. If you aren't really sure where to start, this solar panel is a failsafe option. . released into the stratosphere to reflect the sun's light back into space, theoretically cooling the planet. But SCoPEx researcher and Harvard professor David Keithsays concerns like these are not supported by science. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 , which temporarily cooled our planet by 0.5 degrees C. In a December 2020 Boston Globe editorial, he wrote: Why the sharp divergence between media and science? SCoPEx will take a small step in its early research this June near the town of Kiruna, Sweden, where the Swedish Space Corporation has agreed to help launch a balloon carrying scientific equipment 12 miles (20 km) high. Due to the controversial subject matter (more on that below) and the fact that it is privately funded, SCoPEx is overseen by an outside panel of advisers run by Harvard. 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 chemical is non-toxic and the amount released will also be small. Mount Merapi, 2,968 metres high, is known as one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, with an eruption occurring every two to five years. "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 small-scale experiment is "to test the risks and efficacy" of solar radiation management, the researchers said, and to gather information that cannot be obtained through computer modeling and lab work. 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. Yet the debate over solar geoengineering is likely to persist, as it enjoys the backing of wealthy individuals such as Gates, and the support of key scientific institutions, including the powerful U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which is urging the U.S. government to set up a federal research program to advance the technologies to the tune of up to $200 million. 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. But for some, the potential rewards of solar geoengineering in the face of a warming planet are clearly too tantalizing to resist, even when balanced against its unknown risks and fraught ethical implications. 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. Measuring the ways that aerosols alter stratospheric chemistry can, for example, improve the ability of global models to predict how large-scale geoengineering could possibly disrupt stratospheric ozone. Aim: dim the Sun. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The stated goal of SCoPEx, as described on the project website, is the collection of data regarding the microphysics of aerosols in the upper atmosphere so that computer models analyzing geoengineering can be as accurate as possible: This experiment will help us learn more about the efficacy and risks of solar 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. 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. Widespread use of technology that dims natural sunlight to help fight climate change should only be used as a last resort, scientists have warned. For one thing, the methods could have unintended consequences on global weather patterns. BILL GATES TOO. Those responsible must be held to account or it will happen again and again until world government. In other words, it's a very small-scale project, far from the climate-altering claims about it that have surfaced on social media. 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. Bill Gates is investing in research to build sun-dimming technologies which could reverse global warming. Photo of electric charging station powered by diesel generator is emblematic of the electric vehicle movement. 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.. Freezing temperatures in 1815 led to failed crops in near-famine conditions. . But late last month, a Harvard advisory committee that was set up to study the projects ethical implications recommended pushing back the test until a more thorough societal engagement process can be conducted to address issues related to solar geoengineering research in Sweden, Harvard wrote. El atacante en Uvalde, Texas estaba en Estados Unidos ilegalmente. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Other reports that misrepresented the project includeda story from the British tabloidThe Daily Mail, which warned of potential disasteras a result ofthe experiment. It's also easy to use and compact in size, making it easy to store when not needed. STOP HIM. Instead, it will observe how particles interact with one another, with the background stratospheric air, and with solar and infrared radiation. These are ideal for residential or commercial rooftops, but they're compatible with a ground-mount as well. "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.". ", He wrote: "The obvious nightmare is that the future possibility of geoengineering slows efforts to stop emissions but that the technology turns out to be infeasible. In the future, a small amount of the dustbetween 100g to 2kgwould be released to study atmospheric changes. Already, about 30% of the suns energy is reflected back into space by clouds and ice, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental nonprofit group. Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is no stranger to conspiracy theories and speculation about the projects he funds. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. With Bill Gates attempt to block out the sun, I dont believe Texas winter storm was a fluke . The ultimate aim is to measure how the aerosol alters stratospheric chemistry. The claim first surfaced in 2021 and has been previously debunked by multiple fact checkers. 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. The eclipse is the first total solar eclipse since August 2017. The example listed in the report is the above-mentioned Mt. radiation, lowering the Earth's temperature by 0.6 degrees Celsius (33.08 degrees Fahrenheit.) 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. 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. Jan. 5, 2021, USA Today, "Fact check: Bill Gates is not trying to 'block the sun's rays' in the name of climate change," April 23, 2021, Wilson Center, "Solar Radiation Management," Sept. 20, 2020. Hopefully, the different groups involved can come to an understanding and develop a pilot experiment that more people feel is ethically sound. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The post referstoHarvard'sStratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, orSCoPEx, which is financially backed by Gates. Photo credit: Justin Sullivan - Getty Images. What is solar geoengineering, anyway, and why are scientists suddenly interested inand concerned bythe concept? Concerned groups want a clearer understanding of consequences before the launch. RT @ToscaAusten: Bill Gates, farmer, philanthropist, climate cultist extraordinaire, and the newly invested multi-million dollar shareholder of Heineken, is dabbling in solar geoengineeringthe scientific process of bouncing the sun's rays back into space. It also has made him a frequent target for conspiracy theories. MSFT 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. The science has spoken. Suggests a January traffic accident involving lab monkeys was responsible for spreading monkeypox to humans. Frank Keutsch, the projects principal investigator, does not know what the results might bring. Excessive aluminum in the brain. Scientists have devised multiple ways to block sunlight from reaching Earths atmosphere or surface. It's made ofPET, EVA and monocrystalline silicon, and it'santi-reflective andhigh transparency. The experiment involves launching a high-altitude balloon about 12 miles into the atmosphere, according to its website. We take a look at 7 End Times Headlines from all across the world. Solar geoengineering with aerosols runs head into the fact that aerosols, like ozone layer-destroying chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) spray aerosols, have often been a contributor to climate change. 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. Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering . 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 . The meteor strike that might have killed the dinosaurs blanketed the Earth in a layer of aerosol dust. "JUST IN: Bill Gates next venture will try to spray dust into the atmosphere to block the sun. ", Explaining the balancing act, he continued: "People are right to fear over-reliance on technofixes. 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. Proponents of geoengineering have cited the global cooling effects of volcanic eruptions that result from the introduction of sulfuric ash into the atmosphere. 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. 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. 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. Fluoride.. But solar geoengineering is controversial, even according to the Harvard researchers who proposed the experiment. 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. 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. One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain. 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. In theory, solar geoengineering is based on the idea that experts can reduce the impact of global warming by reflecting sunlight back into space using chemicals. Prominent campaigner Greta Thunberg came out in support of the indigenous peoples and against solar geoengineering. 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 United States, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia blocked a 2019 United Nations assessment of global geoengineering plans. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. 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.". The full text of the Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement can be read here. If given the go-ahead, the experiment could take place in June, 2021, from the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden. Bill Gates and Harvard want scientists to study solar geoengineering. It is true that no one knows what will happen until the CaCO3 is released and then studied afterward. Harvard scientists intend to block out the sun's rays from earth as a way to help stave off climate change. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of 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. We should also note Gates' involvement in the SCoPEx project is purely financial. "President Biden confirm(ed) everyone will receive their $1k gas checks this week!! This is geoengineerings addiction problem, often called its moral hazard. The team noted: "The test will pose no significant hazard to people or the environment. The World Economic Forum has its own police force. As we see tha. Microsofts One example is this April 8Facebook post, which reads:"Let me get this straight. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. In terms of solar radiation management, that is not the case. ", USDA is predicting egg prices will be $12 a dozen by fall 2022.. Rather, the project seeks to understand the potential risks of geoengineering. 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. 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 name of the project is SCoPEx, or, Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment . billionaire founder Bill Gates is financially backing the development of sun-dimming technology that would potentially reflect sunlight out of Earths atmosphere, triggering a global cooling effect. Then where do you go? 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. The process is not without controversy, as some experts have voiced fears that blasting chemicals into our immediate orbit tampers with the natural order, making weather less predictable or threatening populations' food supplies by causing drought. Bill Gates' wealth has allowed him to donate and invest in projects across the globe. Gates argument, as described during a 2010 TED Talk, is that humanity should not be in a position, if global warming gets bad enough that geoengineering needs to be taken seriously, where we do not have the research to fully understand the mechanics of that solution: If you get into that situation, it's like if you've been overeating, and you're about to have a heart attack. But this claim, like other reports, misrepresents the nature of the project. "Geoengineering is a blanket term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible," Popular Mechanics reported. May 2021: Bill Gates, Harvard University back solar geoengineering to fight global warming. Gates himself has put his money where his mouth is, backing a Harvard University experiment to look at the effect of spraying particles into the stratosphere to, in theory, create a global cooling effect. 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. Bill Gates's PR companies are again reporting on a UN study that is pushing for atmospheric modification to block the sun. 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. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images). Is Russias Only Aircraft Carrier Cursed? Lets just say the plan doesnt work out as intended. 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. ". For example, no credible scientist is arguing that SCoPEx, by releasing 4.4 pounds of chalky power 12 miles above the arctic, will, as the Daily Mail put it, "trigger a disastrous series of chain reactions, creating climate havoc in the form of serious droughts and hurricanes, and bring death to millions of people around the world." The geoengineering project is an attempt to cool the earth's overall temperature. NO MORE CROPS, NO FOOD, NO PLANTS NO NOTHING!!! The project at issue in several sensationalized news stories, SCoPEx, is an experiment designed to collect data for the purpose of refining computer models that simulate solar radiation management, not to implement an actual test of the practice. Now, a recycled claim says Gates aims go even higher literally. Bill Gates has been falsely accused of many villainous plans, from depopulating the Earth to pushing microchips as part of all medical procedures. 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. 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. One goal of the project has always been to explore the real implications of this technology before we need it, because its never a good idea to launch an untested mechanism at a time of crisis. Although . But theres another nightmare: Its 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," Keith wrote in an op-ed published in the Boston Globe. 33701 SCoPEx is also partially funded by Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research program, which is also funded by foundations and donors, including Gates. 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. 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. But if we dont understand how solar geoengineering will affect the world, by the time we need it as an option in our climate playbook, it will be too late. This is our End Times News Update for the week of Friday February 3rd, 2023. "One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain.". Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates has . Widespread research into the efficacy of solar geoengineering has been stalled for years due to controversy. Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering experiment backed by Bill Gates has been postponed until at least 2022. As Popular Mechanics noted, "(A)ll of the scientists and backers involved are only suggesting doing researchnot taking large-scale action.". Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has been supporting a wide array of research on geoengineering since 2007, ScienceInsider has learned. The project originally was scheduled to have a test flight in Sweden in June 2021, but a Harvard advisory committee delayed it until at least 2022 in order to study potential impacts. Why Trust Us? According to Snopes, 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. 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. He's also known for wanting to save us from ourselves. Geo-Solar Engineering to Save the Planet By Nancy Thorner Reported by Frank Bergman on February 18, 2023: George Soros, worth 10 billion as of 2023, is pushing a plan to block the sun to fight climate change as a way to cool Earth's global temperature.. Soros outlined his plan during his address at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2023. The ultra-rich are on a mission to Show more . 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. Solar geoengineering is a subfield of geoengineering, which refers to efforts to alter the environment to limit the effects of climate change. The Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) aimed to see how a tiny amount of aerosol in a trial would influence the immediate surroundings. Cocaine Bear Isnt the Only Animal Getting High. Bill Gates, who recently suggested the world should eat 100 percent synthetic beef and said bitcoin is bad for the planet, has set his sights on a new foe: the sun. "We are not, for example, testing whether it's possible to scatter sunlight back to space, because there is no meaningful scientific uncertainty about that question.". The Daily Mail, a British tabloid newspaper, reported in August 2019 that Gates "wants to spray millions of tonnes of dust into the stratosphere to stop global warming.". 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. 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 . The concerns enumerated in Daily Mail and Reuters, when quoting from actual scientists, universally fall into the "slippery slope" line of reasoning the notion that the only reason for the incremental work proposed by SCoPEx is to realize a dream of actually geoengineering the planet.