(ORDO NEWS) — In 2021, Bill Gates provided $3 million for a project that involved spraying chalk particles into the atmosphere. He had to block part of the sun’s rays and thereby reduce the temperature.
It turned out that not all scientists agree with this idea. They wrote an open letter explaining the dangers of this technology.
Briefly about the idea of spraying chalk in the atmosphere
- Researchers at Harvard University are currently working on the project of the founder and former head of Microsoft, studying its possible consequences.
- The essence of the idea is to spray small particles of chalk into the atmosphere, which will act as a mirror: the chalk plume will reflect part of the sunlight back into space, reducing the temperature on the planet.
- The advantage of the method (in contrast to the similar idea of spraying sulfur dioxide, which was abandoned due to the destruction of the ozone layer by the gas) is that it does not require constant “feeding” . It is enough to spray the chalk in one or more stages – the process will start and be self-sustaining.
- The project is currently under development, but has been repeatedly criticized due to its potential danger.
Criticism: what the Gates project can lead to
The open letter was written by a group of 46 scientists and experts. It explained the dangers of this technology. According to the authors, today solar geoengineering is still poorly understood and cannot be definitively calculated even with the help of modern computer simulations.
In general, it all comes down to the fact that it is impossible to predict what the impact on the climate will be. The result is not a partial containment of global warming, but a new ice age so strong and long that it will last for millions of years and kill all the plants and animals on Earth.
It will begin with small changes that will cascade and entail other consequences, resulting in the spread of glaciation further south.
The effect of reflective particle spraying will vary greatly by region. As a result, this may adversely affect the basic needs of the world‘s population for food and water.
Scientists point out that a decrease in the intensity of solar radiation can prevent monsoon rains in South Asia and West Africa. This will lead to drought in the region and may cause the Amazon Basin to dry up.
Therefore, scientists urge world politicians to pay attention to this project and impose a moratorium on the use of solar geoengineering technologies, which may be too dangerous for the population of the entire planet.
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