Bill Gates wants to cover the Sun, a solution that could benefit against climate impact. Global warming is one of the most worrying problems of our planet. In fact, in the race against climate change, scientists at Harvard University proposed that the decrease in sunlight could cool the planet. That’s why Bill Gates is looking to block the sun’s rays.
Researchers are looking for solutions that will stop our planet’s temperature from rising. However, the solution is not simple, as many of these plans could only be achieved in the long term by maintaining a firm commitment to sustainability, but Bill Gates has different plans.
The Bill Gates Plan
The name Bill Gates resonates in the minds of millions of people around the world. The name of Microsoft’s founder has undoubtedly been on the lips of many for having changed the world of computing. And although this title allowed him to become one of the richest people in the world, his vision as a tycoon has not only been directed toward computer technology. Since 2008, he resigned from his position at Microsoft to devote himself entirely to philanthropic actions, such as global warming.
In recent years, the increase in the Earth’s surface temperatures has become a fact of life, which translates into a major problem for us: averaging between 1°C and 3°C in the coming years might not seem too serious, but in reality, it becomes one of the most dangerous risk situations we face, as this simple change will affect elements as varied as sea levels, animal life or even the aridity of the planet.
With this premise in mind, the ambitious project consists of launching a huge balloon into the stratosphere with 600 kg of calcium carbonate, or chalk, which will be sprayed 19 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. In this way, solar attenuation could counteract global warming and contribute to the cooling of the Earth. Why?
The intention is to generate a database that will allow geoengineering-based proposals to lower the temperature of the planet. This experiment aims to analyze the consequences that could be generated by spraying the atmosphere with particles that reflect sunlight.
In this way, in principle, it could help to control global warming to desirable levels. From the data obtained, Harvard scientists will be able to study the feasibility and potential of these technologies.
A More Detailed Explanation
The project got a permit to operate near the city of Kiruna in Sweden. It should be noted that the release of aerosols is not yet in the plans. For now, both ScoPEX and the Swedish Space Corporation agreed to launch a balloon with scientific equipment to an altitude of 20 kilometers. The launch will be used to test the controls to maneuver the balloon and the relevant communications. If successful, then they will proceed to the next phase.
The dynamics of the experiment is to spray non-toxic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder into the atmosphere. By transporting the balloon to a height of 20 kilometers, a quantity of calcium carbonate ranging from 100 grams to 2 kilograms will be released.
The objective is to create a mass of disturbed air approximately one kilometer long and one hundred meters in diameter. At the same time, the balloon will be used to measure the resulting changes in the disturbed air mass, including changes in aerosol density, atmospheric chemistry, and light scattering.
Not the First Time Balloons Are Launched
This would not be the first time balloons have been launched into space. About 300 stratospheric balloons were launched worldwide in 2019 for other scientific purposes, according to the people behind Harvard’s SCoPEx (Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment).
In fact, stratospheric balloons fly regularly. Google’s Loon program launched at least 35 balloons this year, seeking to build a new layer of connectivity technology in the stratosphere to expand Internet access around the world.
This story was written in Spanish by Perla Vallejo in Ecoosfera