Bill Gates says he would support deploying artificial cooling technologies to lower global temperatures — but only if the planet hits so-called climate tipping points.

Why it matters: The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist is a major funder of research into this controversial technology, and his comments in a recent interview with Axios are among his most expansive yet. • Activity by startups has sparked a wave of media attention to the tech, which is known as geoengineering. Coverage includes The New Yorker, The Atlantic and Politico magazine during November alone.

The big picture: Solar radiation management — reflecting more of the sun's energy back into space — is a subset of geoengineering that's shifting from fringe science and conspiracy theory into mainstream policy debate.

See Full Page