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SCIEPRO \/ Getty Images \/ composite<\/p><\/div>\n
An effort to dim the sun to stop global warming has been scrapped by the Swedish Space Agency, who announced that the program, funded by Bill Gates, has \u2018divided the scientific community\u2019 and will therefore not be carried out.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC)\u00a0released a statement<\/a>\u00a0saying that the Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx), which also had secured Harvard funding, will not go ahead as planned in June.<\/p>\n \u201cSSC has had dialogues this spring with both leading experts on geoengineering and with other stakeholders, as well as with the SCoPEx Advisory Board,\u201d the statement reads, adding \u201cAs a result of these dialogues and in agreement with Harvard, SSC has decided not to conduct the technical test flight planned for this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n It also notes that \u201cThe scientific community is divided regarding geoengineering, including any related technology tests such as the planned technical balloon test flight from Esrange this summer.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gates funded idea would have seen the release of calcium carbonate, essentially chalk dust, into the atmosphere from a high-altitude balloon to observe the effect it has on sunlight reaching the planet surface.<\/p>\n The ultimate goal of the study was to reduce the temperature on the planet in an effort to stave off global warming.<\/p>\n However, not surprisingly, the notion of blocking out the Sun proved somewhat unpopular, with environmental groups warning of potential\u00a0\u201ccatastrophic consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n The Saami Council, an advocate group for Sweden\u2019s indigenous population,\u00a0warned<\/a>\u00a0that the Gates experiment \u201cessentially attempts to mimic volcanic eruptions by continuously spewing the sky with sun-dimming particles.\u201d<\/p>\n The group also pointed out that SCoPEx could have \u201cirreversible sociopolitical effects\u201d and would do nothing to reduce Carbon emissions, which are touted as the leading cause of climate change.<\/p>\n Essentially, the whole idea comes off as a weird vampirish effort to starve the planet of sunlight, the driver of all life, with little scientific logic behind it at all.<\/p>\n Bill Gates, who is flogging a book about climate change, has poured millions into geoengineerng, funnelling at least\u00a0$4.6 million<\/a>\u00a0to the lead researcher on SCoPEx, Harvard applied physics scientist David Keith.<\/p>\n Gates has repeatedly lauded the notion of dimming the Sun, noteably during a Ted Talk in 2010:<\/p>\n