Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:

5 Way Forward
Pages 177-192

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 177...
... , and other techniques; and the major social disruption of adaptation for a global population concentrated near sea level. Against that backdrop, the issues surrounding albedo modification stand in stark contrast.
From page 178...
... Despite some initial research advances discussed in Chapter 3 of this report, much remains unknown about albedo modification. Proposed albedo modification a ­ pproaches introduce environmental risks and political ramifications associated with intended and unintended consequences; these risks are not well understood and generally unquantified.
From page 179...
... . TABLE 5.1  Overview of General Differences between Carbon Dioxide Removal Proposals and Albedo Modification Proposals Carbon dioxide removal proposals… Albedo modification proposals… … address the cause of human-induced climate … do not address cause of human-induced climate change (high atmospheric GHG concentrations)
From page 180...
... If albedo modification were to be used to reduce peak warming significantly or to offset the effects of substantial additional CO2 emissions, then there is no good exit strategy unless economically viable CDR technologies become available. For this reason development of CDR should go hand in hand with consideration of the scope of safe application of albedo modification techniques.
From page 181...
... This underscores a recurring theme in this report, that the potential availability of albedo modification in the portfolio of responses to global warming does not constitute a license for unbounded CO2 emissions.  It is the committee's assessment that there is no substitute for dramatic reductions in emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change at the lowest probability of risk to humanity. Mitigation, although technologically feasible, has been difficult to achieve for political, economic, and social reasons that may persist well into the future.
From page 182...
... , and likely increased growth rates of forests caused by an increase in diffuse solar radiation. Because volcanic eruptions are brief events, they are not perfect analogues for the full effects of sustained albedo modification deployment.
From page 183...
... • There is significant potential for unanticipated, unmanageable, and regrettable consequences in multiple human dimensions from albedo modification at 1 Note that Recommendation 2 involves CDR only. It is found in the Summary of this report and is discussed in more detail in Chapter 5 of the companion report, Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration.
From page 184...
... However, most researchers have shied away from working in this area, in part because of a concern that the more that is known, the greater the chance that someone will try to do it. With an appreciation of the severity of these potential risks, the committee argues that, as a society, we have reached a point where the severity of the potential risks from climate change appears to outweigh the potential risks from the moral hazard associated with a suitably designed and governed research program.
From page 185...
... Most notably, research on clouds and aerosols has the potential to advance climate research while also contributing to understanding of the effects and unintended impacts of albedo modification approaches. A number of actions can promote such "multiple-benefit research" -- research that can contribute to a better understanding of the viability of albedo modification techniques and a better understanding of basic climate science -- such as maintaining continuous measurements of the topof-atmosphere radiation budget, developing improved space-borne instruments to discriminate the processes leading to changes in Earth's radiation budget, monitoring ocean-atmosphere energy exchange through programs such as the Argo float system, and improving methods of data assimilation and data analysis to make optimal use of observations in detecting and attributing albedo and climate responses.
From page 186...
... The committee argues that these research topics specific to albedo modification should also be identified and prioritized as part of a larger research effort on albedo modification, and they should be tasked to the relevant federal agencies for possible support within existing or expanded programs. Focusing on basic science related to albedo modification will hopefully minimize fears that resources are being used to support a potential near-term albedo modification deployment plan.
From page 187...
... It would also be useful to systematically compare both global models and expensive process models to existing field experiment data and satellite data relevant to stratospheric aerosol and marine cloud-brightening strategies. Small field studies would be useful that explore issues that are as yet poorly understood but influence the viability of candidate albedo modification strategies.
From page 188...
... These fac tors would include an assessment of the expected climate with only emissions reductions and CDR (including risks from continued greenhouse gas emissions with no intervention) , the expected effects from starting albedo modification, the expected effects from terminating albedo modification, ethical issues, and social responses.
From page 189...
... "Governance" is not a synonym for "regulation." Depending on the types and scale of the research undertaken, appropriate governance of albedo modification research could take a wide variety of forms, ranging from the direct application of existing scientific research norms, to the development of new norms, to mechanisms that are highly structured and extensive. The most appropriate type of governance structures for albedo modification research will potentially depend on the nature and scale of that research.
From page 190...
... Recommendation 6: The committee recommends the initiation of a serious deliberative process to examine (a) what types of research governance, beyond those that already exist, may be needed for albedo modification research and (b)
From page 191...
... The lowest-risk CDR strategies are currently limited by cost and at present cannot achieve the desired result of removing climatically important amounts of CO2 beyond the significant removal already performed by natural processes. However, with declining costs and stronger regulatory commitment, atmospheric CO2 removal could become a valuable component of the portfolio of long-term approaches to reducing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and associated impacts.
From page 192...
... The impacts of any potential future climate interventions should be honestly acknowledged and fairly considered. The committee firmly believes that there is no substitute for dramatic reductions in CO2 emissions to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change at the lowest probability of risk to humanity.


This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.