Geoengineering the climate is a method of changing the sun's impact on the greenhouse gases we emit. This technique allows society to maintain the normal routine without mitigating fossil fuel consumption.
Bill Gates
Responsible for backing a small group of climate scientists, including Ken Caldeira and David Keith with over $4.6 million used to further studies based on the concept of injecting sulfur aerosols in to the upper atmosphere with the intent to reflect more sunlight.
Ken Caldeira
Professor at Stanford University. One of the world's leading climate scientists.
David Keith
Professor at Harvard University. One of the world's leading climate scientists. Keith is also the owner of the geoengineering company Carbon Engineering, a company in which both Bill Gates and Ken Caldeira have major stakes.
Richard Branson
Provides major funding to further geoengineering research.
Mikhail Budyko
Performed early work toward the development of solar radiation management methods. In 1974, Budyko suggested that if global warming became a problem, we could cool down the planet by burning large amounts of sulfur, which he thought would create a reflective layer of aerosols in the atmosphere.
Edward Teller
Performed some of the initial studies in geoengineering methods that involved inserting materials in to the upper atmosphere to scatter sunlight away.
John Shepherd
Shepherd claims that geoengineering the climate is very possible, however, at this point we are not ready for implementation. Much research still needs to be conducted. He also points out that geoengineering the climate is not a realistic alternative for reducing emissions and that public engagement and debate is needed.
Murray Edwards
Tar sands magnate also provided significant funding in to a series of reports regarding the future of geoengineering.
Nikolas Zennstrom
The creator of the computer program Skype also provides funding to companies in order to allow them to maintain their patents of geoengineering technology.
Paul Crutzen
A climate scientist who wrote a cornerstone paper on the deliberate addition of sulfate particles in to the atmosphere as a means to increase its albedo.
John Latham
Proposed the idea of spraying sea water in to the atmosphere as a way to increase cloud reflectivity.