Reflecting Sunlight Recommendations for Solar Geoengineering Research and Research Governance (2021) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Introduction
1 Introduction
Pages 19-30
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 19... ...
Stabilizing global temperature requires decreasing net emissions of CO2 to zero. Because the warming effects of CO2 persist for thousands of years, every ton emitted pushes the temperature higher, and the resulting temperature is a nearly linear function of cumulative CO2 emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution (IPCC, 2013)
|
From page 20... ...
In addition, it must involve adaptation to climate change impacts that have already occurred or will occur in the future. But given the possibility that these three options will not be pursued swiftly or broadly enough to provide sufficient protection against unacceptable climate change impacts, some suggest there may be value in exploring additional response strategies -- including possible strategies to moderate warming by altering the abundance or properties of small reflective particles (aerosols)
|
From page 21... ...
"the term engineering implies a more precisely tailored and controllable process than might be the case for these climate interventions." While climate intervention reasonably describes the full collection of possible climate response options, the focus of this study is on a particular subset of intervention strategies that involve modifying particle concentrations or cloud properties in the atmosphere -- marine cloud bright ening, stratospheric aerosol injection, and cirrus cloud thinning.
|
From page 22... ...
(2015) , whereas multidisciplinary research draws on knowledge from different disciplines, and interdisciplinary research synthesizes and harmonizes links between disciplines, transdisciplinary work moves beyond this bridging of divides within academia to also engage directly with the production and use of knowledge outside of the academy.
|
From page 23... ...
The committee's focus was on research to support the information needs of those who may be involved in decisions about the scale, scope, direction, and organization of the SG research enterprise -- including the appropriateness of certain kinds of studies, especially field experiments. Ultimately, SG research should help support decisions about whether or not to include these strategies in the portfolio of climate responses and even to understand who should be involved in these decision-making processes.
|
From page 24... ...
Some researchers have proposed that small-scale field studies are already the logical next step to advance understanding, and a few research teams in the United States and elsewhere are moving forward with planning for field experiments. But there is scientific debate about whether small-scale field experiments can provide useful insights about largescale deployment; the need for caution in pursuing such proposals has been raised by many.
|
From page 25... ...
For example, groups of scholars have proposed principles and best practice guidelines for operating norms. The Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative is focused on catalyzing policy discussions with governments and in international bodies to expand understanding of SG risks and benefits, and to prevent deployment of these technologies without having effective governance in place.
|
From page 26... ...
This concern provides motivation for ensuring that discussion of SG research and research governance is grounded in caution and humility; pays close attention to changing social, political, economic, ecological, and institutional conditions; and appreciates the importance of diverse, equitable, and global cooperation. These elements were threaded throughout this report from the outset, and they became even more central as the committee concluded its work.
|
From page 27... ...
In light of these urgent and growing concerns, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the feasibility, risks, benefits, and unknowns -- and consequences for diverse stakeholders -- of the wide range of possible policy responses to climate change. Conclusion 1.2: The most commonly considered responses to climate change include reducing GHG emissions, removing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, and adapting to climate change impacts.
|
From page 28... ...
The members of the study committee had expertise in diverse areas such as atmospheric physics, chemistry, ecology, economics, policy studies, law, ethics, and international governance and negotiations. Several committee members have a long record of contributions to SG scholarship, while some were chosen to bring perspectives from other research domains.
|
From page 29... ...
Following standard National Academies' procedures, the draft report then underwent a rigorous process of external peer review prior to publication. 1.5 THE REPORT ROADMAP The rest of the report is organized as follows: Chapter 2 reviews the "landscape" of SG-related research (i.e., the current state of understanding and key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed -- across both natural and social science realms)
|
From page 30... ...
R E F L E C T I N G S U N L I G H T : R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S F O R S O L A R G E O E N G I N E E R I N G regulation and adherence to critical goals such as legitimacy, transparency, and stakeholder engagement. Chapter 6 defines a broad transdisciplinary agenda for research to fill the key knowledge and information gaps identified in the earlier chapters and explores the special considerations related to outdoor experimentation.
|
Key Terms
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.