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. 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. This process involves seeding the stratosphere with aerosols to reflect sunlight away. If it encourages more fossil emissions by masking the climate pain they cause, then it is addictive because every ton of extra fossil carbon emissions increases climate risks, thereby increasing the demand for geoengineering to mask the pain. You may need heart surgery or something. The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) released a . But this claim, like other reports, misrepresents the nature of the project. But there is no suggestion he. For now, research into the field is fairly limited. released into the stratosphere to reflect the sun's light back into space, theoretically cooling the planet. "People are right to fear over-reliance on technofixes. Aerosols are the gaseous clouds formed by particles of many common materials. "It is not a test of solar geoengineering per se," the SCoPEx website says on its website. 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. 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 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. 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. 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 . It will only test the balloon, not release any aerosols. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. February . The conservative news website The Western Journal reported in December last year that Gates' plan for the project included "blotting out the sun to make the world cooler," citing a Reuters report about the scientists applying for a test flight experiment in June 2021. 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. 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. Gates did not personally hatch a plan, nor is he or anyone scheming to block out the sun. 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. 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 falsehood centers on a small-scale experiment that Harvard researchers proposed called SCoPEx, short for Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment that would spray aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect some sunlight back into space, a technology aimed at minimizing global warming. Advertisement - story continues below Now, apparently, he wants to save us from the sun. The article was shared on Facebook and was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. Calcium carbonate is a nontoxic chemical commonly found in nature. Gates, who dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to co-found Microsoft, has provided funding to the university for climate research since 2007. "Instead, it will observe how particles interact with one another, with the background stratospheric air, and with solar and infrared radiation. They're capable of withstanding high winds and snow loads, they're anti-reflective, and extremely versatile. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. The most commonly proposed method is to use aerosols "the gaseous clouds formed by particles of many common materials" because the physical structure of their particles blocks and scatters light, according to Popular Mechanics. Instead, the balloon would test properties of the hardware and software needed for future trials, including propellers, power, data, navigation and the communication systems. These are ideal for residential or commercial rooftops, but they're compatible with a ground-mount as well. As such, the solar geoengineering technology used for SCoPEx is still at a theoretical stage as of . 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. The Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) will spray a special calcium dust into the sky in order 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. That's what the Harvard project, called the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, or SCoPEx, aims to fix. Widespread use of technology that dims natural sunlight to help fight climate change should only be used as a last resort, scientists have warned. Concerned groups want a clearer understanding of consequences before the launch. Despite the concern, Keutsch is leading a project to study such technology, which could start later this year. If the plan is green-lit, a high-altitude balloon would disperse the mineral dust to study the viability, and risks, of solar geoengineering. The worst case scenario is that humankind faces an extreme climate emergency, but knows nothing about even the long-shot ways to address it. Now, that's just an insurance policy; you hope you don't need to do that. The high conversion efficiency 100 watt PV panel can charge 12v /24v batteries, and it comes with a portable folding suitcase. 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. In terms of solar radiation management, that is not the case. In 2015, the National Academies of Sciences, for example, released a two-part report on climate interventions like solar radiation management. Although . Geoengineering techniques such as solar radiation management (SRM) could be part of a future technology portfolio to limit global temperature change. 1800 I Street NW "They are ill-served if the geoengineerings real physical risks are conflated with the equally real political threat that geoengineering will be exploited by fossil fuel interest groups to block the transformation of our energy infrastructure away from carbon.". Instead, it will observe how particles interact with one another, with the background stratospheric air, and with solar and infrared radiation. A review is ongoing to determine if the proposed balloon launch alongside the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) can go ahead. . The project revolves around the concept of geoengineering, large-scale efforts to reducethe effects of climate change usually temporarily on oceans, soils and atmosphere. 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. 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. 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. It's made ofPET, EVA and monocrystalline silicon, and it'santi-reflective andhigh transparency. Fluoride.. ", Explaining the balancing act, he continued: "People are right to fear over-reliance on technofixes. 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. Additionally, the project is not working to block or dim the sun. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. For one thing, the methods could have unintended consequences on global weather patterns. 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. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. 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. Widespread use of technology that dims natural sunlight to help fight climate change should only be used as a last resort, scientists have warned. Recently, social media users are claiming Gates is working to block the sun's rays to combat global warming. Ultimately, Gates' involvement is financial. 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. 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. Despite simmering on the internet in recent weeks, Google Trends data suggested that people are still searching for answers. 727-821-9494. stated on February 21, 2022 in an article: "Bill Gates hatches 'horribly stupid' plan to block out the sun", stated on February 20, 2023 in an Instagram post. 20006, Florida The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology and is not an effort at widespread implementation. We need your help. But solar geoengineering is controversial, even according to the Harvard researchers who proposed the experiment. The post also claims: "Geo engineering is actually a thing and Bill Gates has been backed to try and 'block out the sun'." According to the Met Office, geoengineering is the "deliberate large-scale manipulation of climate". Washington, DC The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology. Rather, the project seeks to understand the potential risks of geoengineering. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Such statements describe popularly held concerns about the concept of geoengineering as a whole. If you aren't really sure where to start, this solar panel is a failsafe option. . 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. Bill Gates has provided undisclosed amounts of funding to academic research into solar geoengineering research, which in turn helps to fund the SCoPEx project. .css-v1xtj3{display:block;font-family:FreightSansW01,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:100;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-v1xtj3:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.1387rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-v1xtj3{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.5rem;margin-top:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-v1xtj3{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}USAF's Reactor Creates Jet Fuel Out of Water, Air, Ring Lasers Can Allow Time Travel, Scientist Says, Mystery on Easter Island: More Moai Found in Lake, Ironton Found: Solving An 1894 Shipwreck Mystery, Scientists Discovered a Highly Reactive Superacid, 60 Scientists Are Trying to Block the Sun. A Harvard experiment named SCoPEx is supported in part by these initiatives. 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. 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.. The name of the project is SCoPEx, or, Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment . 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. Solar geoengineering is a subfield of geoengineering, which refers to efforts to alter the environment to limit the effects of climate change. With Bill Gates attempt to block out the sun, I dont believe Texas winter storm was a fluke . So, is all of this a good idea or not? If you want to really go all out, you can't go wrong with Renology's 10-piece, 300-watt solar panels. Those responsible must be held to account or it will happen again and again until world government. 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. Some have alleged Gates wants to block the sun. It also has made him a frequent target for conspiracy theories. Its called solar radiation management, or solar geoengineering. 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 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. radiation, lowering the Earth's temperature by 0.6 degrees Celsius (33.08 degrees Fahrenheit.) Briefly, it is true that Gates has funded research that includes theoretical studies into the feasibility of solar radiation management. 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. 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. The ultra-rich are on a mission to Show more . Such assertions or implications are misleading in several regards described in detail below. 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. 1.5K. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Now, a recycled claim says Gates aims go even higher literally. China threatens to shoot Nancy Pelosis plane down if she visits Taiwan., Know what they always find in Alzheimers patients? Brain Organoids Are Alive, But Are They Conscious? (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.). 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 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. The team noted: "The test will pose no significant hazard to people or the environment. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. In 2007, Gates created a grant-making research fund known as the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research (FICER). 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. The billionaire is backing a study of the controversial technology called solar geoengineering. Other reports that misrepresented the project includeda story from the British tabloidThe Daily Mail, which warned of potential disasteras a result ofthe experiment. 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. "It doesn't guarantee they'll make the right decision. 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. Bill Gates's PR companies are again reporting on a UN study that is pushing for atmospheric modification to block the sun. In the case of Keutsch's experiment, the chemical will be calcium carbonate, which is essentially a chalk dust. And its not just academics who object to the concept and practice of solar geoengineering. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. The geoengineering project is an attempt to cool the earth's overall temperature. While the mechanism of an aerosol solar geoengineering study is simplethe physical structure of aerosol particles literally blocks and scatters lightthe reality is more complex. A small amount of material is then released to create a "perturbed air mass" about 100 yards wide and a half-mile long. Slippery-slope arguments aside, this is a far cry from an attempt to geoengineer the world. The full text of the Solar Geoengineering Non-Use Agreement can be read here. "One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain.". The Swedish Space Corporation has agreed to help launch a balloon close to the town of Kiruna, Forbes reported. El atacante en Uvalde, Texas estaba en Estados Unidos ilegalmente. Update 01/22/2022 GMT1240: This post has been updated to clarify the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiatives stance on solar geoengineering technologies, as noted by C2G executive director Janos Pasztor. Gates did not create such a plan. Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. What is solar geoengineering, anyway, and why are scientists suddenly interested inand concerned bythe concept? Gates is one of SCoPEx's funders, but he is not participating in the project's research. With assistance from Hayley Arlin and James Grant. As we see tha. SCoPEx is one of those projects. 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. As Keutsch has pointed out, this is not a fringe view, it is one held by several scientific bodies. 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. BILL GATES TOO. 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. 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.". One way of doing that is by pulling carbon dioxide. 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. This technology would trigger a global cooling effect," blared a viral tweet from RapTV, an . Keutsch's counter, in essence, is that we don't yet know enough about the mechanics of the solution to adequately understand its risks. It can fully charge a 50Ah Battery from 50% in 3 hours. 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. At its core, SCoPEx seeks to better understand the efficacy and risks of solar geoengineering. Primary source evidence proves the claim to be false. Know what makes your body hoard aluminum? "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. Outdoor experiments can provide in situ perspective that is impossible to obtain in the laboratory and SCoPEx can help us validate important model parameters that have yet to been tested against measurements. Photo credit: Justin Sullivan - Getty Images. 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. 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. 3 min read. 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. The incremental nature of SCoPEx cannot be understated. #BillGates is buying out all of the farmlands and trying to figure out ways to block out the SUN for THREE DAYS!!! MSFT British scientists have cited stratospheric aerosols from volcanic eruptions in Alaska and Mexico as the potential cause of drought in Africas Sahel region. Remember the 2010 eruption of an Icelandic volcano that blocked the entire sky all the way into Europe? His grant-making research fund, the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research, partially finances the project. The Earth is warming rapidly as a result of human-caused emissions. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Hopefully, the different groups involved can come to an understanding and develop a pilot experiment that more people feel is ethically sound. The claim first surfaced in 2021 and has been previously debunked by multiple fact checkers. The test was originally scheduled for June 2021, but will be delayed until at least 2022. "Decision-makers and the public they serve need balanced information about the effectiveness and risks of geoengineering," he wrote in that editorial. An effort to dim the sun to stop global warming has been scrapped by the Swedish Space Agency, who announced that the program, funded by Bill Gates, has 'divided the scientific community' and will therefore not be carried out. Many anti-Gates stories and memes suggest Gates philanthropic efforts' stem from things he "wants" to happen. Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has been supporting a wide array of research on geoengineering since 2007, ScienceInsider has learned. stated on March 3, 2023 in a Conservative Political Action Conference speech: stated on February 19, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 24, 2023 in an Instagram post: stated on March 2, 2023 in a speech at CPAC: stated on February 25, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 22, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 26, 2023 in an Instagram post: stated on February 27, 2023 in a Facebook post: All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2020, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. There is documentation of bull sharks in the Great Lakes. SCoPEx is also partially funded by Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research program, which is also funded by foundations and donors, including Gates. 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 meteor strike that might have killed the dinosaurs blanketed the Earth in a layer of aerosol dust. 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. Bill Gates' "Block The Sun" Scopex Balloon Launch Experiment In Sweden Hits A Snag As Environmental Groups Express Criticism . 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. One example is cloud. This will likely postpone the platform launch until 2022, the committee said. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. 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.
