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Geoengineering the Climate: An Overview of Solar Radiation Management Options

Author(s): Burns WCG

Published: April, 2012

Publisher: Tulsa Law Review

Tags: Law, Ethics, Overview

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2041131##

Abstract: This article provides an overview of solar radiation management options in the context of climate geoengineering. It also includes a discussion of some of the ethical and legal issues associated with SRM research and/or deployment.


Metaphors We Die By? Geoengineering, Metaphors, and the Argument From Catastrophe

Author(s): Nerlich B, Jaspal R

Published: April, 2012

Publisher: Metaphor and Symbol

DOI: 10.1080/10926488.2012.665795

Tags: Public Perception

URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10926488.2012.665795

Abstract: Geoengineering the climate by reflecting sunlight or extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has attracted increasing attention from natural scientists, social scientists, policy makers and the media. This article examines promotional discourse related to geoengineering from the 1980s to 2010. It asks in particular how this option for dealing with the problems posed by climate change were framed through the use of conceptual and discourse metaphors and whether one can argue that these are metaphors we “live by” or metaphors we might “die by.” Findings show that an overarching argument from catastrophe was bolstered by three conceptual master-metaphors, namely “THE PLANET IS A BODY,” “THE PLANET IS A MACHINE,” and “THE PLANET IS A PATIENT/ADDICT,” linked to a variety of discourse metaphors, older conceptual metaphors, and clichés. This metaphorical landscape began to shift while the article was being written and will have to be closely monitored in the future.


The long-term effect of increasing the albedo of urban areas

Author(s): Akbari H, Matthews HD, Seto D

Published: April, 2012

Publisher: Environmental Research Letters

DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/2/024004

Tags: Surface Albedo Modification, Environmental Side-Effects, Climate Modelling

URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/2/024004/

Abstract: Solar reflective urban surfaces (white rooftops and light-colored pavements) can increase the albedo of an urban area by about 0.1. Increasing the albedo of urban and human settlement areas can in turn decrease atmospheric temperature and could potentially offset some of the anticipated temperature increase caused by global warming. We have simulated the long-term (decadal to centennial) effect of increasing urban surface albedos using a spatially explicit global climate model of intermediate complexity. We first carried out two sets of simulations in which we increased the albedo of all land areas between ±20° and ±45° latitude respectively. The results of these simulations indicate a long-term global cooling effect of 3 × 10−15 K for each 1 m2 of a surface with an albedo increase of 0.01. This temperature reduction corresponds to an equivalent CO2 emission reduction of about 7 kg, based on recent estimates of the amount of global warming per unit CO2 emission. In a series of additional simulations, we increased the albedo of urban locations only, on the basis of two independent estimates of the spatial extent of urban areas. In these simulations, global cooling ranged from 0.01 to 0.07 K, which corresponds to a CO2 equivalent emission reduction of 25–150 billion tonnes of CO2.


Voluntary Support of Scientific Research: A Road to a more Sustainable Future

Author(s): Edvardsen HM, Puškaric S

Published: April, 2012

Publisher: RIThink

Tags: Research

URL: http://rithink.hr/?act=archives

Abstract: This study investigated the awareness about the threats of global warming and the attitude of a random population to actively participate in supporting research and development of novel methods to mitigate the consequences of global warming. The survey includes responses from 195 randomly selected people of various profiles. The study found that the respondents generally consider global warming to be a real problem and a threat to our society and that the governments and corporations are not doing enough to deal with global warming. Respondents felt that they can be responsible consumers and choose green products and services to prevent pollution, and believe there is still time to change our behavior by cutting emissions and pollution levels in order to prevent global warming. Additionally, the study found that a small but significant percentage of respondents considered investing a larger amount of money in a safe project that develops methods to reverse global warming. Finally, the reasons for these attitudes are discussed as well as the possible solution for the problem.


Bright is the new black—multi-year performance of high-albedo roofs in an urban climate

Author(s): Gaffin SR, Imhoff M, Rosenzweig C, Khanbilvardi R, Pasqualini A, Kong AYY, Grillo D, Freed A, Hillel D, Hartung E

Published: March, 2012

Publisher: Environmental Research Letters

DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014029

Tags: Surface Albedo Modification

URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/1/014029/

Abstract: High-albedo white and cool roofing membranes are recognized as a fundamental strategy that dense urban areas can deploy on a large scale, at low cost, to mitigate the urban heat island effect. We are monitoring three generic white membranes within New York City that represent a cross section of the dominant white membrane options for US flat roofs: (1) an ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) rubber membrane; (2) a thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membrane; and (3) an asphaltic multi-ply built-up membrane coated with white elastomeric acrylic paint. The paint product is being used by New York City's government for the first major urban albedo enhancement program in its history. We report on the temperature and related albedo performance of these three membranes at three different sites over a multi-year period. The results indicate that the professionally installed white membranes are maintaining their temperature control effectively and are meeting the Energy Star Cool Roofing performance standards requiring a three-year aged albedo above 0.50. The EPDM membrane shows evidence of low emissivity; however this had the interesting effect of avoiding any 'winter heat penalty' for this building. The painted asphaltic surface shows high emissivity but lost about half of its initial albedo within two years of installation. Given that the acrylic approach is such an important 'do-it-yourself', low-cost, retrofit technique, and, as such, offers the most rapid technique for increasing urban albedo, further product performance research is recommended to identify conditions that optimize its long-term albedo control. Even so, its current multi-year performance still represents a significant albedo enhancement for urban heat island mitigation.


Can a reduction of solar irradiance counteract CO2-induced climate change? – Results from four Earth system models

Author(s): Schmidt H, Alterskjær K, Karam DB, Boucher O, Jones A, Kristjansson JE, Niemeier U, Schulz M, Aaheim A, Benduhn F, Lawrence MG, Timmreck C

Published: March, 2012

Publisher: Earth System Dynamics Discussions

DOI: 10.5194/esdd-3-31-2012

Tags: Stratospheric Aerosols, Cloud Brightening, Climate Modelling

URL: http://www.earth-syst-dynam-discuss.net/3/31/2012/esdd-3-31-2012.html

Abstract: In this study we compare the response of four state-of-the-art Earth system models to climate engineering under scenario G1 of the GeoMIP and IMPLICC model intercomparison projects. In G1, the radiative forcing from an instantaneous quadrupling of the CO2 concentration, starting from the preindustrial level, is balanced by a reduction of the solar constant. Model responses to the two counteracting forcings in G1 are compared to the preindustrial climate in terms of global means and regional patterns and their robustness. While the global mean surface air temperature in G1 remains almost unchanged, the meridional temperature gradient is reduced in all models compared to the control simulation. Another robust response is the global reduction of precipitation with strong effects in particular over North and South America and northern Eurasia. It is shown that this reduction is only partly compensated by a reduction in evaporation so that large continental regions are drier in the engineered climate. In comparison to the climate response to a quadrupling of CO2 alone the temperature responses are small in experiment G1. Precipitation responses are, however, of comparable magnitude but in many regions of opposite sign.


Ecosystem Impacts of Geoengineering: A Review for Developing a Science Plan

Author(s): Russell LM, Rasch PJ, Mace GM, Jackson RB, Shepherd JG, Liss PS, Leinen MS, Schimel D, Vaughan NE, Janetos AC, Boyd PW, Norby RJ, Caldeira K, Merikanto J, Artaxo P, Melillo J, Morgan MG

Published: March, 2012

Publisher: Ambio

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-012-0258-5

Tags: Research, Biodiversity

URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/u562q0218461k416/

Abstract: Geoengineering methods are intended to reduce climate change, which is already having demonstrable effects on ecosystem structure and functioning in some regions. Two types of geoengineering activities that have been proposed are: carbon dioxide (CO(2)) removal (CDR), which removes CO(2) from the atmosphere, and solar radiation management (SRM, or sunlight reflection methods), which reflects a small percentage of sunlight back into space to offset warming from greenhouse gases (GHGs). Current research suggests that SRM or CDR might diminish the impacts of climate change on ecosystems by reducing changes in temperature and precipitation. However, sudden cessation of SRM would exacerbate the climate effects on ecosystems, and some CDR might interfere with oceanic and terrestrial ecosystem processes. The many risks and uncertainties associated with these new kinds of purposeful perturbations to the Earth system are not well understood and require cautious and comprehensive research.


Navigating the Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance

Author(s): Biermann F, Abbott K, Andresen S, Bäckstrand K, Bernstein S, Betsill MM, Bulkeley H, Cashore B, Clapp J, Folke C, Gupta A, Gupta J, Haas PM, Jordan A, Kanie N, Kluvánková-Oravská T, Lebel L, Liverman D, Meadowcroft J, Mitchell RB, Newell P, Oberthür S, Olsson L, Pattberg P, Sánchez-Rodríguez R, Schroeder H, Underdal A, Camargo Vieira S, Vogel C, Young OR, Brock A, Zondervan R

Published: March, 2012

Publisher: Science

DOI: 10.1126/science.1217255

Tags: Earth System Management, Global Environmental Governance

URL: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6074/1306.short

Abstract: Science assessments indicate that human activities are moving several of Earth's sub-systems outside the range of natural variability typical for the previous 500,000 years. Human societies must now change course and steer away from critical tipping points in the Earth system that might lead to rapid and irreversible change. This requires fundamental reorientation and restructuring of national and international institutions toward more effective Earth system governance and planetary stewardship.


A critique of geoengineering

Author(s): Allenby B

Published: February, 2012

Publisher: IEEE Potentials

DOI: 10.1109/MPOT.2011.943110

Tags: Ethics, Governance, Politics

URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6128785&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D6128785

Abstract: Interest in geoengineering technologies has increased significantly over the past few years because of concern about global climate change coupled with a growing recognition of the inadequacies of the Kyoto Protocol and the ongoing climate change negotiating process.


A resilience view on reframing geoengineering research and implementation

Author(s): Stafford-Smith M, Russell LM

Published: February, 2012

Publisher: Carbon Management

DOI: 10.4155/cmt.11.71

Tags: Research, Politics, Earth System Management

URL: http://www.future-science.com/doi/full/10.4155/cmt.11.71

Abstract: As it becomes harder to see how the world will keep GHGs in the atmosphere below levels at which global warming of at least 2°C is likely, calls for geoengineering approaches to climate management are increasingly vociferous. The result has been many recent reviews of potential geoengineering options, both prudent and otherwise, and calls for research on the topic to start urgently around the world. However, most of these calls are framed in terms of the ability of one or two options to significantly contribute to ‘solving’ or delaying the problem. We argue that conceptualizing geoengineering as the massive deployment of one or two technologies is profoundly misleading for charting research priorities. We build on the ecological parallels drawn by Matthews and Turner to add a perspective concerned with the resilience of the Earth system. This suggests that the debate should be reframed around a preferable and more likely policy goal of deploying a carefully designed suite of smaller scale solutions, with individually lesser, reversible impacts. Lenton and Vaughan partially foreshadow such an approach by exploring the complementary value of alternative options for climate management. What their analysis does not explore, however, are the profound implications that such reframing has for the type of research that is required to support decision making and potential implementation – research that is not currently being undertaken. If the scientific community does not reorient these activities, it will not be ready to assist policy decisions when, and if, they become necessary.


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