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Baum CM, Fritz L, Low S, Sovacool BK. Like diamonds in the sky? Public perceptions, governance, and information framing of solar geoengineering activities in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS 2024; 33:868-895. [PMID: 38868558 PMCID: PMC11166051 DOI: 10.1080/09644016.2023.2301262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Solar geoengineering (also known as solar radiation modification) is garnering more attention (and controversy) among media and policymakers in response to the impacts of climate change. Such debates have become more prominent following the first-ever field trials of stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) in 2022. How the lay public perceives solar geoengineering remains unclear, however. We use nationally representative samples (N = 3013) in Mexico, United States, and United Kingdom to examine public perceptions of risks and benefits, support, and policy preferences. We also employ an information-framing design that presented individuals with media-style reports on SAI activities differing along three dimensions: location, actor, and scale and purpose. Support for SAI is found to be generally higher in Mexico; perceptions of risks and benefits do not differ between countries. Information about SAI activities has a limited effect. There is evidence that activities conducted by universities receive more support than those by start-up companies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad M. Baum
- Department of Business Development and Technology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Livia Fritz
- Department of Business Development and Technology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sean Low
- Department of Business Development and Technology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Benjamin K. Sovacool
- Department of Business Development and Technology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex Business School, Brighton, UK
- Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, USA
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2
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How wildfires deplete ozone in the stratosphere. Nature 2023; 615:219-221. [PMID: 36890369 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-00598-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
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Abstract
The benefits and risks of solar radiation modification (SRM; also known as solar geoengineering) need to be evaluated in context with the risks of climate change and will depend on choices such as the amount of cooling. One challenge today is a degree of arbitrariness in the scenarios used in current SRM simulations, making comparisons difficult both between SRM and non-SRM cases and between different SRM scenarios. We address this gap by 1) defining a set of plausible scenarios capturing a range of choices and uncertainties, and 2) providing simulations of these scenarios that can be broadly used for comparative impact assessment. This is an essential precursor to any international assessment by, e.g., the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Making informed future decisions about solar radiation modification (SRM; also known as solar geoengineering)—approaches such as stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) that would cool the climate by reflecting sunlight—requires projections of the climate response and associated human and ecosystem impacts. These projections, in turn, will rely on simulations with global climate models. As with climate-change projections, these simulations need to adequately span a range of possible futures, describing different choices, such as start date and temperature target, as well as risks, such as termination or interruptions. SRM modeling simulations to date typically consider only a single scenario, often with some unrealistic or arbitrarily chosen elements (such as starting deployment in 2020), and have often been chosen based on scientific rather than policy-relevant considerations (e.g., choosing quite substantial cooling specifically to achieve a bigger response). This limits the ability to compare risks both between SRM and non-SRM scenarios and between different SRM scenarios. To address this gap, we begin by outlining some general considerations on scenario design for SRM. We then describe a specific set of scenarios to capture a range of possible policy choices and uncertainties and present corresponding SAI simulations intended for broad community use.
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4
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Krewski D, Saunders-Hastings P, Larkin P, Westphal M, Tyshenko MG, Leiss W, Dusseault M, Jerrett M, Coyle D. Principles of risk decision-making. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2022; 25:250-278. [PMID: 35980104 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2022.2107591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Risk management decisions in public health require consideration of a number of complex, often conflicting factors. The aim of this review was to propose a set of 10 fundamental principles to guide risk decision-making. Although each of these principles is sound in its own right, the guidance provided by different principles might lead the decision-maker in different directions. For example, where the precautionary principle advocates for preemptive risk management action under situations of scientific uncertainty and potentially catastrophic consequences, the principle of risk-based decision-making encourages decision-makers to focus on established and modifiable risks, where a return on the investment in risk management is all but guaranteed in the near term. To evaluate the applicability of the 10 principles in practice, one needs to consider 10 diverse risk issues of broad concern and explore which of these principles are most appropriate in different contexts. The 10 principles presented here afford substantive insight into the process of risk management decision-making, although decision-makers will ultimately need to exercise judgment in reaching appropriate risk decisions, accounting for all of the scientific and extra-scientific factors relevant to the risk decision at hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Krewski
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick Saunders-Hastings
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Patricia Larkin
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Margit Westphal
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - William Leiss
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Maurice Dusseault
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Jerrett
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Doug Coyle
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
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5
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Koenig TK, Volkamer R, Apel EC, Bresch JF, Cuevas CA, Dix B, Eloranta EW, Fernandez RP, Hall SR, Hornbrook RS, Pierce RB, Reeves JM, Saiz-Lopez A, Ullmann K. Ozone depletion due to dust release of iodine in the free troposphere. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj6544. [PMID: 34936464 PMCID: PMC8694599 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj6544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Iodine is an atmospheric trace element emitted from oceans that efficiently destroys ozone (O3). Low O3 in airborne dust layers is frequently observed but poorly understood. We show that dust is a source of gas-phase iodine, indicated by aircraft observations of iodine monoxide (IO) radicals inside lofted dust layers from the Atacama and Sechura Deserts that are up to a factor of 10 enhanced over background. Gas-phase iodine photochemistry, commensurate with observed IO, is needed to explain the low O3 inside these dust layers (below 15 ppbv; up to 75% depleted). The added dust iodine can explain decreases in O3 of 8% regionally and affects surface air quality. Our data suggest that iodate reduction to form volatile iodine species is a missing process in the geochemical iodine cycle and presents an unrecognized aeolian source of iodine. Atmospheric iodine has tripled since 1950 and affects ozone layer recovery and particle formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore K. Koenig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Rainer Volkamer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Eric C. Apel
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - James F. Bresch
- Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Carlos A. Cuevas
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Barbara Dix
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Edwin W. Eloranta
- Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rafael P. Fernandez
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, National Research Council (ICB-CONICET), FCEN-UNCuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Samuel R. Hall
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Rebecca S. Hornbrook
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - R. Bradley Pierce
- The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), Madison, WI, USA
| | - J. Michael Reeves
- Earth Observing Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Alfonso Saiz-Lopez
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kirk Ullmann
- Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
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6
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Human Rights and Precautionary Principle: Limits to Geoengineering, SRM, and IPCC Scenarios. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12218858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
: Most scenarios on instruments limiting global warming in line with the 1.5 °C temperature limit of the Paris Agreement rely on overshooting the emissions threshold, thus requiring the application of negative emission technologies later on. Subsequently, the debate on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation management (SRM) (frequently subsumed under “geoengineering”) has been reinforced. Yet, it does not determine normatively whether those are legally valid approaches to climate protection. After taking a closer look at the scope of climate scenarios and SRM methods compiling current research and opinions on SRM, this paper analyses the feasibility of geoengineering and of SRM in particular under international law. It will be shown that from the perspective of human rights, the Paris Agreement, and precautionary principle the phasing-out of fossil fuels and the reduction in consumption of livestock products as well as nature-based approaches such as sustainable—and thus climate and biodiversity-smart—forest, peatland, and agricultural management strongly prevail before geoengineering and atmospheric SRM measures in particular. However, as all of the atmospheric SRM methods are in their development phase, governance options to effectively frame further exploration of SRM technologies are proposed, maintaining that respective technologies thus far are not a viable means of climate protection.
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7
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Qu Z, Feng W, Wang Y, Romanenko F, Kotov NA. Diverse Nanoassemblies of Graphene Quantum Dots and Their Mineralogical Counterparts. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201908216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi‐bei Qu
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering East China Normal University Shanghai 200241 China
| | - Wei‐Jie Feng
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Yichun Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Fedor Romanenko
- Department of Geomorphology and Paleogeography Lomonosov Moscow State University Leninskie Gory Moscow 119991 Russian Federation
| | - Nicholas A. Kotov
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
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8
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Huynh HN, McNeill VF. Heterogeneous Chemistry of CaCO 3 Aerosols with HNO 3 and HCl. J Phys Chem A 2020; 124:3886-3895. [PMID: 32324406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.9b11691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Calcite (CaCO3) aerosols often serve as an idealized proxy for calcium-rich mineral dust. Their use has also previously been proposed for stratospheric solar radiation management (SSRM). Little is known about the heterogeneous chemistry of calcite aerosols with trace gases HNO3 and HCl and therefore their potential impact on stratospheric ozone (O3). Here we report the results of an experimental study of the uptake of HNO3 and HCl onto submicron CaCO3 particles in two different flow reactors. Products and reaction kinetics were observed by impacting aerosolized CaCO3 onto ZnSe windows, exposing them to the reagent gases at a wide range of concentrations, at 296 K and under dry conditions, and analyzing the particles before and after trace gas exposure using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A Ca(OH)(HCO3) termination layer was detected in the form of a HCO3- peak in the FTIR spectra, indicating a hydrated surface even under dry conditions. The results demonstrate the reaction of HNO3 with Ca(OH)(HCO3) to produce Ca(NO3)2, water, and CO2. HCl reacted with Ca(OH)(HCO3) to produce CaCl2 and also water and CO2. The depletion of the Ca(OH)(HCO3)/Ca(CO3) signal due to reaction with HNO3 or HCl followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. From the FTIR analysis, the reactive uptake coefficient for HNO3 was determined to be in the range of 0.013 ≤ γHNO3 ≤ 0.14, and that for HCl was 0.0011 ≤ γHCl ≤ 0.012 within the reported uncertainty. The reaction of HCl with airborne CaCO3 aerosols was also studied in an aerosol flow tube coupled with a quadrupole chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) under similar conditions to the FTIR study, and γHCl was determined to be 0.013 ± 0.001. Following previous modeling studies, these results suggest that the reactions of HCl and HNO3 with calcite in the stratosphere could ameliorate the potential for stratospheric solar radiation management to lead to stratospheric ozone depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han N Huynh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - V Faye McNeill
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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9
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Abstract
The atmosphere is composed of nitrogen, oxygen and argon, a variety of trace gases, and particles or aerosols from a variety of sources. Reactive, trace gases have short mean residence time in the atmosphere and large spatial and temporal variations in concentration. Many trace gases are removed by reaction with hydroxyl radical and deposition in rainfall or dryfall at the Earth's surface. The upper atmosphere, the stratosphere, contains ozone that screens ultraviolet light from the Earth's surface. Chlorofluorocarbons released by humans lead to the loss of stratospheric ozone, which might eventually render the Earth's land surface uninhabitable. Changes in the composition of the atmosphere, especially rising concentrations of CO2, CH4, and N2O, will lead to climatic changes over much of the Earth's surface.
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10
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Cziczo DJ, Wolf MJ, Gasparini B, Münch S, Lohmann U. Unanticipated Side Effects of Stratospheric Albedo Modification Proposals Due to Aerosol Composition and Phase. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18825. [PMID: 31827104 PMCID: PMC6906325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53595-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Earth has now warmed ~1.0 °C since the period 1850–1900, due in large part to the anthropogenic addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Most strategies to address this warming have called for a reduction of emissions and, often, accompanying removal of greenhouse gases. Other proposals suggest masking the increased radiative forcing by an increase in particles and/or clouds to increase scattering of incoming solar radiation. Two related recent proposals have suggested addition of calcite particles to the stratosphere, which one model suggests may enhance ozone. Here we show that the interaction of calcite with acidic materials in the stratosphere results in a more complex aerosol than has been previously considered, including aqueous and hydrate phases that can lead to ozone loss. Our study suggests particle addition to the stratosphere could also perturb global radiative balance by affecting high altitude cloud formation and properties. Experimental and modeling results suggest particles will act as the nucleation sites for polar stratospheric cloud ice and, after sedimentation into the troposphere, impact cirrus clouds in the absence of other efficient ice nucleating particles. These results show that an overly simplistic set of assumptions regarding intentional particle emissions to the atmosphere can lead to incorrect estimates of the radiative effect and fail to identify unintended consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Cziczo
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States. .,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States. .,Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47906, United States.
| | - Martin J Wolf
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, United States
| | - Blaž Gasparini
- Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Universitaetstrasse 16, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.,Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, 408 ATG, Box 351640, Seattle, Washington, 98195, United States
| | - Steffen Münch
- Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Universitaetstrasse 16, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Lohmann
- Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zürich, Universitaetstrasse 16, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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11
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Qu Z, Feng W, Wang Y, Romanenko F, Kotov NA. Diverse Nanoassemblies of Graphene Quantum Dots and Their Mineralogical Counterparts. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 59:8542-8551. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201908216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi‐bei Qu
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering East China Normal University Shanghai 200241 China
| | - Wei‐Jie Feng
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Yichun Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Fedor Romanenko
- Department of Geomorphology and Paleogeography Lomonosov Moscow State University Leninskie Gory Moscow 119991 Russian Federation
| | - Nicholas A. Kotov
- Department of Chemical Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Biointerfaces Institute University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
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12
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Reynolds JL. Solar geoengineering to reduce climate change: a review of governance proposals. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2019; 475:20190255. [PMID: 31611719 DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2019.0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although solar geoengineering (alternatively 'solar radiation management' or 'solar radiation modification') appears to offer a potentially effective, inexpensive and technologically feasible additional response to climate change, it would pose serious physical risks and social challenges. Governance of its research, development and deployment is thus salient. This article reviews proposals for governing solar geoengineering. Its research may warrant dedicated governance to facilitate effectiveness and to reduce direct and socially mediated risks. Because states are not substantially engaging with solar geoengineering, non-state actors can play important governance roles. Although the concern that solar geoengineering would harmfully lessen abatement of greenhouse gas emissions is widespread, what can be done to reduce such displacement remains unclear. A moratorium on outdoor activities that would surpass certain scales is often endorsed, but an effective one would require resolving some critical, difficult details. In the long term, how to legitimately make decisions regarding whether, when and how solar geoengineering would be used is central, and suggestions how to do so diverge. Most proposals to govern commercial actors, who could provide goods and services for solar geoengineering, focus on intellectual property policy. Compensation for possible harm from outdoor activities could be through liability or a compensation fund. The review closes with suggested lines of future inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse L Reynolds
- Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 385 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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13
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Sulfuric acid decomposition chemistry above Junge layer in Earth's atmosphere concerning ozone depletion and healing. Commun Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s42004-019-0178-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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14
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MacMartin DG, Kravitz B. Mission-driven research for stratospheric aerosol geoengineering. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1089-1094. [PMID: 30617069 PMCID: PMC6347728 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811022116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decade has seen broad exploratory research into stratospheric aerosol (SA) geoengineering, motivated by concern that reducing greenhouse gas emissions may be insufficient to avoid significant impacts from climate change. Based on this research, it is plausible that a limited deployment of SA geoengineering, provided it is used in addition to cutting emissions, could reduce many climate risks for most people. However, "plausible" is an insufficient basis on which to support future decisions. Developing the necessary knowledge requires a transition toward mission-driven research that has the explicit goal of supporting informed decisions. We highlight two important observations that follow from considering such a comprehensive, prioritized natural-science research effort. First, while field experiments may eventually be needed to reduce some of the uncertainties, we expect that the next phase of research will continue to be primarily model-based, with one outcome being to assess and prioritize which uncertainties need to be reduced (and, as a corollary, which field experiments can reduce those uncertainties). Second, we anticipate a clear separation in scale and character between small-scale experimental research to resolve specific process uncertainties and global-scale activities. We argue that the latter, even if the radiative forcing is negligible, should more appropriately be considered after a decision regarding whether and how to deploy SA geoengineering, rather than within the scope of "research" activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G MacMartin
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853;
- Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Ben Kravitz
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352
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15
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Response of Surface Ultraviolet and Visible Radiation to Stratospheric SO2 Injections. ATMOSPHERE 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos9110432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Climate modification by stratospheric SO2 injections, to form sulfate aerosols, may alter the spectral and angular distributions of the solar ultraviolet and visible radiation that reach the Earth’s surface, with potential consequences to environmental photobiology and photochemistry. We used modeling results from the CESM1(WACCM) stratospheric aerosol geoengineering large ensemble (GLENS) project, following the RCP8.5 emission scenario, and one geoengineering experiment with SO2 injections in the stratosphere, designed to keep surface temperatures at 2020 levels. Zonally and monthly averaged vertical profiles of O3, SO2, and sulfate aerosols, at 30 N and 70 N, served as input into a radiative transfer model, to compute biologically active irradiances for DNA damage (iDNA), UV index (UVI), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and two key tropospheric photodissociation coefficients (jO1D for O3 + hν (λ < 330 nm) → O(1D) + O2; and jNO2 for NO2 + hν (λ < 420 nm) → O(3P) + NO). We show that the geoengineering scenario is accompanied by substantial reductions in UV radiation. For example, comparing March 2080 to March 2020, iDNA decreased by 25% to 29% in the subtropics (30 N) and by 26% to 33% in the polar regions (70 N); UVI decreased by 19% to 20% at 30 N and 23% to 26% at 70 N; and jO1D decreased by 22% to 24% at 30 N and 35% to 40% at 70 N, with comparable contributions from sulfate scattering and stratospheric O3 recovery. Different responses were found for processes that depend on longer UV and visible wavelengths, as these are minimally affected by ozone; PAR and jNO2 were only slightly lower (9–12%) at 30 N, but much lower at 70 N (35–40%). Similar reductions were estimated for other months (June, September, and December). Large increases in the PAR diffuse-direct ratio occurred in agreement with previous studies. Absorption by SO2 gas had a small (~1%) effect on jO1D, iDNA, and UVI, and no effect on jNO2 and PAR.
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16
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Lawrence MG, Schäfer S, Muri H, Scott V, Oschlies A, Vaughan NE, Boucher O, Schmidt H, Haywood J, Scheffran J. Evaluating climate geoengineering proposals in the context of the Paris Agreement temperature goals. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3734. [PMID: 30213930 PMCID: PMC6137062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05938-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Current mitigation efforts and existing future commitments are inadequate to accomplish the Paris Agreement temperature goals. In light of this, research and debate are intensifying on the possibilities of additionally employing proposed climate geoengineering technologies, either through atmospheric carbon dioxide removal or farther-reaching interventions altering the Earth’s radiative energy budget. Although research indicates that several techniques may eventually have the physical potential to contribute to limiting climate change, all are in early stages of development, involve substantial uncertainties and risks, and raise ethical and governance dilemmas. Based on present knowledge, climate geoengineering techniques cannot be relied on to significantly contribute to meeting the Paris Agreement temperature goals. Research and debate are intensifying on complementing CO2 emissions reductions with hypothetical climate geoengineering techniques. Here, the authors assess their potentials, uncertainties and risks, and show that they cannot yet be relied on to significantly contribute to meeting the Paris Agreement temperature goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark G Lawrence
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany. .,University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Stefan Schäfer
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam, Germany.,Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Helene Muri
- University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Olivier Boucher
- Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, CNRS / Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Hauke Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jim Haywood
- University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, UK
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17
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MacMartin DG, Ricke KL, Keith DW. Solar geoengineering as part of an overall strategy for meeting the 1.5°C Paris target. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2018; 376:20160454. [PMID: 29610384 PMCID: PMC5897825 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Solar geoengineering refers to deliberately reducing net radiative forcing by reflecting some sunlight back to space, in order to reduce anthropogenic climate changes; a possible such approach would be adding aerosols to the stratosphere. If future mitigation proves insufficient to limit the rise in global mean temperature to less than 1.5°C above preindustrial, it is plausible that some additional and limited deployment of solar geoengineering could reduce climate damages. That is, these approaches could eventually be considered as part of an overall strategy to manage the risks of climate change, combining emissions reduction, net-negative emissions technologies and solar geoengineering to meet climate goals. We first provide a physical-science review of current research, research trends and some of the key gaps in knowledge that would need to be addressed to support informed decisions. Next, since few climate model simulations have considered these limited-deployment scenarios, we synthesize prior results to assess the projected response if solar geoengineering were used to limit global mean temperature to 1.5°C above preindustrial in an overshoot scenario that would otherwise peak near 3°C. While there are some important differences, the resulting climate is closer in many respects to a climate where the 1.5°C target is achieved through mitigation alone than either is to the 3°C climate with no geoengineering. This holds for both regional temperature and precipitation changes; indeed, there are no regions where a majority of models project that this moderate level of geoengineering would produce a statistically significant shift in precipitation further away from preindustrial levels.This article is part of the theme issue 'The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas G MacMartin
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Katharine L Ricke
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography and School of Global Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - David W Keith
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Trisos CH, Amatulli G, Gurevitch J, Robock A, Xia L, Zambri B. Potentially dangerous consequences for biodiversity of solar geoengineering implementation and termination. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:475-482. [PMID: 29358608 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0431-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Solar geoengineering is receiving increased policy attention as a potential tool to offset climate warming. While climate responses to geoengineering have been studied in detail, the potential biodiversity consequences are largely unknown. To avoid extinction, species must either adapt or move to track shifting climates. Here, we assess the effects of the rapid implementation, continuation and sudden termination of geoengineering on climate velocities-the speeds and directions that species would need to move to track changes in climate. Compared to a moderate climate change scenario (RCP4.5), rapid geoengineering implementation reduces temperature velocities towards zero in terrestrial biodiversity hotspots. In contrast, sudden termination increases both ocean and land temperature velocities to unprecedented speeds (global medians >10 km yr-1) that are more than double the temperature velocities for recent and future climate change in global biodiversity hotspots. Furthermore, as climate velocities more than double in speed, rapid climate fragmentation occurs in biomes such as temperate grasslands and forests where temperature and precipitation velocity vectors diverge spatially by >90°. Rapid geoengineering termination would significantly increase the threats to biodiversity from climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Trisos
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA.
| | - Giuseppe Amatulli
- School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Center for Research Computing, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Center for Science and Social Science Information, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jessica Gurevitch
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Alan Robock
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Lili Xia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Brian Zambri
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simone Tilmes
- Atmospheric Chemistry, Observations, and Modeling Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA
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