According to Popular Mechanics, billionaire Bill Gates is “keeping an eye” on a new “enemy”… the Sun. Specifically, he and several other private sponsors are supporting a solar energy research project at Harvard University aimed at preventing sunlight from reaching the Earth’s surface.
Last week, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) also released a new report calling for the government to invest at least $100 million in Earth engineering research, a controversial technology.
This is a general term referring to technologies that use physical, biological, or chemical achievements to create the most favorable weather conditions for humanity on the largest scale possible. Two famous examples of this technology are seeding “rain seeds” into clouds to create rain to prevent drought or the process of capturing CO2 and isolating it.
Regarding the project to dim sunlight, scientists have conceived many different methods, collectively referred to as “solar geoengineering.” The most common and studied method is reflecting sunlight away from Earth by dispersing aerosol particles into the atmosphere.
However, to date, this is still considered a risky idea as it could block a significant portion of sunlight reaching Earth while potentially causing disasters like in the movie Snowpiercer, where Earth is turned into an ice ball.
Aerosol particles like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) act like a “spray can” that can destroy the ozone layer. This is one of the factors contributing to climate change.
According to scientists, the worst-case scenario is that humanity faces a severe climate emergency but does not know how to solve it. This is precisely why they are calling for significant investment in “solar geoengineering” research.
The research funded by Bill Gates aims to conduct small-scale experiments in the atmosphere. One scientist stated: “We plan to use a balloon to deploy the spraying instrument into the atmosphere. Once the device is in the right position, a small amount of material will be released to create a disturbed air mass. Then, the same balloon will be used to test the effectiveness of the experiment.”
Recently, NASEM established a committee consisting of 16 international scientific companies to develop research in the field of “solar geoengineering.” Researcher Chris Field stated: “This establishment is a solution to meet the demand for a comprehensive understanding of methods to counter the climate crisis. If we do not study how ‘solar geoengineering’ will affect the world, it will be too late when we need it as an option.” He also mentioned the role of philanthropists like billionaire Bill Gates in combating climate change.
To date, it is still difficult to assert whether the project funded by Gates is a good idea. Currently, all scientists and sponsors have only proposed conducting research on a small scale.