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Making Hurricanes Obsolete

Bill Gates Files Patent to Control the Weather

— July 11, 2009 — Business
If Bill Gates has his way, the intensity of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina can be lessened or thwarted entirel—and he’s already filed a patent in this endeavor to control the weather.

According to Gizmodo, Bill Gates’ patent to control the weather calls for a giant fleet of vessels, which can be deployed in a hurricane’s path to mix in cold water from greater depths, which would in turn effectively reduce the surface temperature of the ocean and reduce the condensation that helps make hurricanes happen in the first place.

Bill Gates acknowledges in his patent that this will be a Herculean task—both logistically and financially—and posits that insurance policies sold in hurricane-prone areas could be one of the ways in which his plan could be financed.
Trend Themes
1. Weather Control - Opportunity for companies to develop technology and methods for controlling weather patterns and natural disasters.
2. Ocean Temperature Modulation - Opportunity for companies to develop technology for mixing in cold water from greater depths to effectively reduce surface temperatures of the ocean and prevent natural disasters.
3. Alternate Financing Models - Opportunity for companies to develop alternate financing models that could be used to fund projects like Bill Gates' weather control plan.
Industry Implications
1. Technology - Technology companies could develop new tools and methods to control weather patterns and prevent natural disasters.
2. Oceanography and Marine Technology - Opportunity for oceanography and marine technology companies to develop new technology for mixing cold water from greater depths to reduce surface temperatures of the ocean.
3. Insurance - Insurance companies could implement financial mechanisms and policies to support projects like Bill Gates' weather control plan.
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