In late December 2020, reacting to reporting from Reuters, the Western Journal published a story titled "Bill Gates' Savior Complex Spirals Out of Control, Funds Sun-Dimming Plan To Save the Human Race." Is Russias Only Aircraft Carrier Cursed? SCoPEx is also partially funded by Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research program, which is also funded by foundations and donors, including Gates. David Keith, a professor of applied physics and public policy at Harvard University, recognizes the very many real concerns of geoengineering. Claim that Bill Gates is scheming to block the sun is wrong If Your Time is short Harvard researchers proposed a small-scale experiment that would spray aerosols into the atmosphere to. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 , which temporarily cooled our planet by 0.5 degrees C. If successful, this could be a step towards a second experimental stage that would release a small amount of CaCO3 dust into the atmosphere. "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 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. There is documentation of bull sharks in the Great Lakes. Scientists have devised multiple ways to block sunlight from reaching Earths atmosphere or surface. 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 . Bill Gates funded the study. 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. 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 world's richest man has provided at least $4.5 million of his own money over 3 years for the study of methods that could alter the stratosphere to reflect solar energy, techniques to filter carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, and brighten . Bill Gates's PR companies are again reporting on a UN study that is pushing for atmospheric modification to block the sun. 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. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. 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. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. MSFT ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Despite simmering on the internet in recent weeks, Google Trends data suggested that people are still searching for answers. Bill Gates, Harvard, To Begin Blocking Sun In Spring Of 2019. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The laws governing Agenda 2030 land development allows the government to seize polluted lands and move their residents to smart cities., Bill Gates hatches 'horribly stupid' plan to block out the Sun - just like Mr Burns, Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research, New Report Says U.S. Should Cautiously Pursue Solar Geoengineering Research to Better Understand Options for Responding to Climate Change Risks, Stratospheric controlled perturbation experiment: a small-scale experiment to improve understanding of the risks of solar geoengineering, No, Bill Gates did not outline 2018 plan to depopulate the planet, No, the Gates Foundation isnt pushing microchips with all medical procedures, Bill Gates Will Have to Wait a While to Block the Sun, Bill Gates Is Thinking About Dimming the Sun, Claims that Bill Gates is going to block the sun lack context, Solar Geoengineering Should be Investigated, Scientists Say. The moon partially covers the sun in a cloudy sky during a solar eclipse on 2 July 2018 in Quito, Ecuador. The name of the project is SCoPEx, or, Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment . 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. 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. 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. The World Economic Forum has its own police force. Suggests root canals are linked to breast cancer. 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. This bioweapon attack on humanity cost us $20T, millions of lives, and our freedom. 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,. ". COVID-19 was created in a lab by EcoHealth, funded by Fauci and Gates, with Wuhan/CIA/DARPA. That was an atmospheric aerosol event. Gates is one of SCoPEx's funders, but he is not participating in the project's research. 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. #BillGates is buying out all of the farmlands and trying to figure out ways to block out the SUN for THREE DAYS!!! So what should humanity do about it? The experiment is funded in part through Harvards Solar Geoengineering Research Program, and Bill Gates is among the donors to that program. What is solar geoengineering, anyway, and why are scientists suddenly interested inand concerned bythe concept? British scientists have cited stratospheric aerosols from volcanic eruptions in Alaska and Mexico as the potential cause of drought in Africas Sahel region. 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. An article headline says, "Bill Gates hatches 'horribly stupid' plan to block out the sun.". Official govt docs expose Michelle Obamas 14 year history as a man., "Woody Harrelsons 60 seconds in the middle of his monologue was cut out of the edits released after the show., BREAKING Trump preps Marines to stop presidential coup.. Know what makes your body hoard aluminum? This one is easy to take on-the-go with you if you're camping, and easy to store if you're using it at home in case of a power outage. 20006, Florida 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. Fluoride.. In fact, it would be less material than spews from airplanes, rockets or routine balloon launches. St. Petersburg, FL 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. Concerned groups want a clearer understanding of consequences before the launch. Instruments carried by the balloon monitorthat region for changes inaerosol density, atmospheric chemistryand light scattering. 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. Considering the unknown risks attached to solar geoengineering, OECD members should continue in their efforts to develop economically attractive renewable energy technology, even as it supplements such efforts with limited and careful research and experimentation. The Swedish Space Corporation has agreed to help launch a balloon close to the town of Kiruna, Forbes reported. 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. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. 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. A controversial, Bill Gates-backed sun-blocking experiment has been postponed for ethical reasons. In a report made by that body, Gates' involvement is noted, but the proportion of the project funded by Gates is not publicly disclosed. Photo credit: Justin Sullivan - Getty Images. 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. 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. Is Bill Gates Funding Efforts To Block The Sun? 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. Unlike sulfates, which can lead to ozone loss, calcium carbonate is not particularly reactive. The ultra-rich are on a mission to Show more . The incremental nature of SCoPEx cannot be understated. Lets just say the plan doesnt work out as intended. The meteor strike that might have killed the dinosaurs blanketed the Earth in a layer of aerosol dust. But this claim, like other reports, misrepresents the nature of the project. Briefly, it is true that Gates has funded research that includes theoretical studies into the feasibility of solar radiation management. Carbon capture, where emissions are taken and sequestered beneath Earths surface, is another major form of geoengineering. 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. Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. Harvard scientists intend to block out the sun's rays from earth as a way to help stave off climate change. Microsofts 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. Microsoft founder Bill Gates (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) The Harvard researchers have claimed that, if it were launched this year, it would cost about $3.5 billion (2.74 billion), plus. Now, that's just an insurance policy; you hope you don't need to do that. Suggests a January traffic accident involving lab monkeys was responsible for spreading monkeypox to humans. "Bill Gates hatches 'horribly stupid' plan to block out the sun," says the headline on a Feb. 21 article on the Daily Star website. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The stories or tweets generally assert or imply that: Bill Gates is funding research that will literally dim the sun; that he "wants to" use this form of geoengineering as a tool to fight climate change; that SCoPEx specifically seeks to test the theory that "spraying particles into the atmosphere" can reduce warming; and that scientists think SCoPEx itself could produce global unintended consequences. The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology and is not an effort at widespread implementation. Additionally, the project is not working to block or dim the sun. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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. So how does that work???". 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. As we see tha. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. 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. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. But there is no suggestion he. Gates' financial involvement with SCoPEx has been documented since November 2018. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. These claims have. 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. China threatens to shoot Nancy Pelosis plane down if she visits Taiwan., Know what they always find in Alzheimers patients? A Harvard experiment named SCoPEx is supported in part by these initiatives. Gates and other private donors are backing Harvard Universitys Solar Geoengineering Research Program, which will soon launch a new study researching the efficacy of blocking sunlight from reaching Earths surface. 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.. Widespread use of technology that dims natural sunlight to help fight climate change should only be used as a last resort, scientists have warned. 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. Aim: dim the Sun. The test was originally scheduled for June 2021, but will be delayed until at least 2022. 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. Gates, who dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to co-found Microsoft, has provided funding to the university for climate research since 2007. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images). As such, the solar geoengineering technology used for SCoPEx is still at a theoretical stage as of . The data gathered during this experiment would, among other things, help inform computer models that look into the potential risks of actual geoengineering. A review is ongoing to determine if the proposed balloon launch alongside the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) can go ahead. In the case of Keutsch's experiment, the chemical will be calcium carbonate, which is essentially a chalk dust. (April 22), The claim: Bill Gates is working to block the sun to prevent global warming. In a December 2020 Boston Globe editorial, he wrote: Why the sharp divergence between media and science? 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. El atacante en Uvalde, Texas estaba en Estados Unidos ilegalmente. Just as quickly as it was announced, a controversial solar geoengineering . 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. Scientists have postponed the billionaire-backed study of the controversial technology called solar geoengineering. If you want to really go all out, you can't go wrong with Renology's 10-piece, 300-watt solar panels. SATAN 202333Rhoda Wilson 9 Bill Gates has provided undisclosed amounts of funding to academic research into solar geoengineering research, which in turn helps to fund the SCoPEx project. 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. The experiment is funded in part through Harvards Solar Geoengineering Research Program, and Bill Gates is among the donors to that program. Geoengineering is the term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. His grant-making research fund, the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research, partially finances the project. 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. The article shared in the Facebook post also falsely claims that the experiment will "kick off in June." Widespread use of technology that dims natural sunlight to help fight climate change should only be used as a last resort, scientists have warned. According to Snopes,. 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. The SCoPEx team is aiming to collect data to enhance computer models and has said it plans to release a nontoxic chemical, but not to scatter sunlight back into space. USA TODAY has reached out to the poster for comment. Hopefully, the different groups involved can come to an understanding and develop a pilot experiment that more people feel is ethically sound. 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.". Brain Organoids Are Alive, But Are They Conscious? Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. Many anti-Gates stories and memes suggest Gates philanthropic efforts' stem from things he "wants" to happen. With Bill Gates attempt to block out the sun, I dont believe Texas winter storm was a fluke . The experiment involves launching a high-altitude balloon about 12 miles into the atmosphere, according to its website. With everyone from investors to indigenous groups involved in the process, SCoPEx will never get off the ground without a lot of diplomacy. 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. Although . 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". It's perhaps equally crazy to keep ignoring it. This is why scientists are asking now for a major investment in solar geoengineering research. Other reports that misrepresented the project includeda story from the British tabloidThe Daily Mail, which warned of potential disasteras a result ofthe experiment. The project is supported in part by philanthropist Bill Gates through SEAS's Solar Geoengineering Research Program. Rather, the project seeks to understand the potential risks of geoengineering. Aerosols are the gaseous clouds formed by particles of many common materials. You may need heart surgery or something. .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;}}These Are the 13 Biggest Planes in the World, Why Russian Hybrid Warfare Failed in Ukraine, Three Nifty Hacks to Make Drilling Easier, Whats New With F1 Tires for the 2023 Season, Memes Could Save Us From Superintelligent Machines, The Secret War to Take out Iran's F-14 Fighters, Meet the E-7 Wedgetail, the Air Forces New Plane, Report: Pilot Error Ruined a $112 Million F-35 Jet. Ultimately, Gates' involvement is financial. 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. The ultimate aim is not to roll out some major solar geoengineering apparatus, but to collect data that will better inform computer models, researchers said. Opponents believe such science comes with unpredictable risks, including extreme shifts in weather patterns not dissimilar to warming trends we are already witnessing. One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain. 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. The experiment would measure the risks and effectiveness of the technology. In 2015, the National Academies of Sciences, for example, released a two-part report on climate interventions like solar radiation management. The proposed Harvard experiment would use a high-altitude balloon to lift instruments into the atmosphere and release aerosols. That's what the Harvard project, called the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment, or SCoPEx, aims to fix. A new coalition of scholars wants the technology effectively banned. 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. So, is all of this a good idea or not? 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. Climate research, renewables and circularity, Solar engineering would see reflective particles. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all. 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. 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. The claim first surfaced in 2021 and has been previously debunked. Since 2007, Bill Gates has funded research initiatives that, in part, provide grants for experiments related to solar radiation management a form of geoengineering controversially proposed. 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. radiation, lowering the Earth's temperature by 0.6 degrees Celsius (33.08 degrees Fahrenheit.) Its driven, in part, by a well-intentioned sense of caution that solar geoengineering will weaken efforts to cut carbon emissions. According to the team, the design for future SCoPEx flights required a balloon that can fly a 600 kg payload close to an altitude of 12 miles. Geoengineering is a blanket term for technologies that try to alter Earths physical qualities on the largest scale possible. 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. 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. Thats hard to say right now, but all of the scientists and backers involved are only suggesting doing researchnot taking large-scale action. The high conversion efficiency 100 watt PV panel can charge 12v /24v batteries, and it comes with a portable folding suitcase. He's also known for wanting to save us from ourselves. Why Trust Us? 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. 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. "One example is cloud seeding, where airplanes flush clouds with particulate matter in order to coalesce into rain.". .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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. 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. 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. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.). Scientists have devised multiple ways to block sunlight from reaching Earths atmosphere or surface. 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.