Scientists want to combat climate change

Scientists want to combat climate change

Climate change is still a challenge for our generation. Thus, scientists continue to study creative ways to reduce global warming. Thus, this Wednesday they highlighted another possibility: Making the clouds over the oceans thicker and brighter.

This would involve a fleet of ships, which would cross vast expanses of the world’s oceans. Then they would sail by spraying seawater onto the clouds to make them thicker. As a result, cooling the atmosphere below in an attempt to slow climate change.

This geoengineering technique – whose widespread use is only at a theoretical stage at this point – is called “marine cloud brightening” (MCB)according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In fact, it’s not something new: the idea has been around for around 30 years.

What is new is a study published this Wednesday (20) in the journal Science Advances. This is because he presents how viable this technique is and also proposes a research program that includes laboratory studies, field experiments and cloud modeling.

“Interest in MCB is increasing, but policymakers currently lack the information they need to make decisions about whether and when MCB should be implemented”said the study’s lead author, Graham Feingold, a researcher at NOAA’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory, in a statement.

The aim of the new study “It’s taking stock of what we know and where the knowledge gaps are”Feingold told USA TODAY.

How does MCB work?

How does marine cloud brightening work? The goal of MCB is to make low-level clouds over the ocean more reflective and long-lasting. In such a way that it is done by injecting them with small particles of salt generated by spraying seawater into the air.

Diagram represents how the marine cloud brightening technique (MCB) works – Photo: Disclosure

Theoretically, according to NOAA, water vapor would accumulate on the surface of these salt particles, creating additional cloud droplets that would reflect more sunlight back into space, cooling the globe.

The entire process is quite challenging, according to Feingold:

“We would have to place particles of the right size in receptive clouds at the right times of day and seasons, and in areas large enough to shadow large areas of the ocean.. It’s a big challenge”

Is MCB a realistic solution to combat climate change? “It’s still too early to tell,” Feingold said. “Challenges need to be overcome.” He said that while it is possible to clear clouds locally – the process exists and works – can it be scaled to a global level?

Climate change and the great responsibility of gases

Perhaps most importantly, artificially shading the planet would do nothing to reduce the main driver of climate change, human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, said co-author Lynn Russell, a climate scientist at the University’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. of California, in San Diego.

“The recent acceleration of global warming impacts means we need to consider non-optimal alternative plans just to give us enough time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and existing burdens.”said Russell. “A research plan is essential before we consider adopting MCB, and we need to simultaneously address the scientific questions and the human dimensions.”

“To reduce global temperatures, our highest priority must be to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere”Feingold said. “MCB can help alleviate the worst impacts of climate change.”

What could go wrong? Side effects of marine cloud lightening could include unknown and potentially dangerous changes in weather patterns. With the MCB, “the models show that we will likely have changes in atmospheric circulation… also changes in temperature and precipitation,” Feingold told USA TODAY.

“With the MCB, some will benefit, while others will suffer.”

The study also did not address the social, ethical, ecological or governance aspects of the MCB.

Furthermore, although the study also did not discuss the environmental impact of ships, the general feeling is “that the impact of these ships moving around the ocean would be negligible, compared to current commercial shipping,” Feingold said.

Source: Atrevida

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