The largest survival challenge for humanity is happening right now. With climate change proceeding rapidly, the rate of global warming on earth is unstoppable.

Bill Gates, Microsoft’s founder, financially supports the development of sun-dimming technologies that could theoretically reflect sunlight from the atmosphere of our planet. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested a new experiment could lower global temperatures by a full 1.5° C for a mere $1-10 billion.
Enter Bill Gates, with the money to help!

Does he have a powerful and practical system in mind, or is this all pie in the sky?
( 2,3,4)

Science Backs Spray Dust

The Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) is a project initiated by researchers from Harvard University. It is investigating sun-dimming technology that would theoretically reflect sunlight from the atmosphere of the Earth, causing a global cooling effect. (1)

The strategy involves spraying a sun-reflecting aerosol into the atmosphere, made of non-toxic calcium carbonate (CaCO3)- or spray dust. This is in the hope that the current impacts of global warming can be offset. (1)

With Gates’ backing, SCoPEx is expected to take a step forward in June 2021, when, with the aid of the Swedish Space Corporation, a balloon carrying scientific equipment will be sent 12 miles (20 km) high. 

The research could be a step towards the second stage of experimentation that would release into the atmosphere a small amount of spray dust.

SCoPEx is an experiment designed to collect data for refining computer models that simulate solar radiation management. It’s merely an experiment, not to implement an actual test of the practice. The most the experiment would do is release two kilograms (3.4 pounds) of non-toxic dust from a weather balloon over Sweden. (1,4)

Dim To Dim Sunlight? 

Scientists, governments, and independent funders of such technologies believe that real-world research is the best way to characterize the risks of these tools. The affordable and productive use of them must be balanced with the possible risks to global crops, weather conditions, drought, and maybe more yet unknown risks.

Environmentalist’s viewpoint is that research should not sacrifice future hazards and drastic shifts in weather patterns, which would be no different from current trends in warming. 

The scientific community is concerned that if geoengineering is not monitored, bringing reflective aerosols into the atmosphere could exacerbate droughts and even hurricanes in some regions. (2)

With multinational effort seeking formal assessment on plans for global geoengineering plans, being withdrawn after 10 days of opposition, it looks like most countries believe we are safe on earth and don’t want to compromise each other’s countries with experimentation. (2)

Concerns In Celebrity Science 

Bill Gates has a net worth of $134 billion. That makes him the second richest person in the world and something of a celebrity. It has been said he intends to give 99.96% of his wealth away by the time he dies, and it looks like a large chunk will go to science research for climate change. (3)

Practical, cost-effective solutions are the preferred promotion with conservation enthusiasts. With preservation and restoration of natural forests and ocean habitats, and respect for the right of indigenous peoples to serve as guardians of ancestral lands, they believe such routes will be our saviors of the planet.

Will the convergence of scientific wisdom and big money backers pay off, or are laws of nature still adequate for the job? The heated debate to cool us all down continues.