How Does Albedo Affect Climate?
rob...@rtulip.net
Here is a newspaper article I wrote that was published today in the Canberra Times, calling for action to increase planetary albedo.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8164770/how-does-albedo-affect-climate/
Text is below.
Following up, I found that the 0.5% albedo decline this century that I cite in the article is measured by satellite at 1.8%, as shown in the attached graph.
Sources are
An imperative to monitor Earth’s energy imbalance, Schuckmann et al, Nature Climate Change, 2016
Earth's Albedo 1998–2017 as Measured From Earthshine, Goode et al, Geophysical Research Letters, 2021
Exceeding 1.5°C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points, McKay et al, Science 2022
Regards
Robert Tulip
How does albedo affect climate?
By Robert Tulip
April 23 2023
The warming effects of climate change could be offset with equal and opposite cooling measures. Picture Shutterstock
Albedo is the measure of how much sunlight the Earth reflects back to space. It is a significant factor in global warming due to the growth of darker surfaces that retain more heat.
The loss of albedo increases the imbalance known as radiative forcing. Due to human influence, incoming sunlight now exceeds outgoing radiation.
Increased radiative forcing due to greenhouse gas emissions is partly reduced by anthropogenic cooling, mainly from aerosols that interact with the stratosphere and clouds to increase albedo.
Overall, the world is darkening due to the loss of snow and ice, soot pollution and decreased ocean cloud cover.
The melting of sea ice is a major albedo loss. Satellite and lunar reflection data show more than 0.5 per cent decline in total albedo this century.
Many new technologies have been proposed to enhance albedo. Marine cloud brightening would make salty mist from sea water to increase the albedo of ocean clouds, cooling the water beneath and reducing cyclone intensity.
Australia has led the world in field testing of marine cloud brightening to reduce coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
Stratospheric aerosol injection could mimic the cooling effect of volcanic eruptions, adding about 1 per cent of the highly reflective sulphur dioxide that used to come from burning coal without scrubbers.
These and other geoengineering methods could mitigate climate impacts such as rising sea levels, biodiversity loss and extreme weather.
Importantly, they could help avoid climate tipping points, while promoting international cooperation.
Advocates contend that research shows the cooling benefits will justify deployment if these technologies are well governed.
Challenges include the need for international governance to ensure deployment is safe, equitable and based on the best science, while overcoming the political hurdles in the transition from fossil fuels.
Risks include disrupting weather patterns, international disputes, sudden termination and allowing ongoing failure to address CO2 impacts such as ocean acidification.
The IPCC is opposed to action to increase albedo, mainly on the view that brightening the planet would undermine decarbonisation. This view ignores the security risk that tipping points such as ice melt could cause sudden cascading warming feedbacks in the Earth system.
The practical impact of neglecting albedo is highly risky, allowing ongoing warming while emissions continue.
Action to cut CO2 will take decades, whereas brightening the planet could have rapid cooling effects, especially by refreezing the Arctic.
Using technology to increase albedo may be the only feasible way to mitigate global warming in the short term.
Unlike net zero emissions, a climate goal of net zero heating achieved by enhancing albedo could stabilise the planetary system quickly and cheaply, by balancing the warming effects with equal and opposite cooling.
- Robert Tulip is convener of the Planetary Restoration Action Group climate thinktank.
Anderson, Paul
I am seeking good PowerPoint slides that I can use in a 20 minute presentation to a small group of non-technical adults. Any links to available presentation materials would be appreciated. The presentation is this Wednesday 26 April.
If large files or things that should not go to the discussion groups, please send directly to me at psan...@ilstu.edu
Thanks in advance,
Paul
Doc / Dr TLUD / Paul S. Anderson, PhD
Email: psan...@ilstu.edu Skype: paultlud Mobile & WhatsApp: 309-531-4434
Website: https://woodgas.com see Resources page for 2023 “Roadmap for Climate Intervention with Biochar” and 2020 white paper, 2) RoCC kilns, and 3) TLUD stove technology.
From: noac-m...@googlegroups.com <noac-m...@googlegroups.com>
On Behalf Of Vyt Garnys (CETEC)
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2023 10:04 PM
To: rob...@rtulip.net; 'Planetary Restoration' <planetary-...@googlegroups.com>; healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com; NOAC <noac-m...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: How Does Albedo Affect Climate?
|
You don't often get email from vyt.g...@cetec.com.au. Learn why this is important |
|
This message originated from outside of the Illinois State University email system. Learn why this is important |
Well done, Robert. Hopefully this will start fruitful discussion on parallel options without slowing the inertia of CO2 reduction. We need as many effective sharp tools in case one gets blunted and to speed remediation.
Regards, Vyt.
|
|
Dr Vyt Garnys |
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NOAC Meetings" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to
noac-meeting...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/noac-meetings/09a701d9758e%24024914d0%2406db3e70%24%40rtulip.net.
Message protected by MailGuard: e-mail anti-virus, anti-spam and content filtering.
https://www.mailguard.com.au/mg
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NOAC Meetings" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to
noac-meeting...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/noac-meetings/MEYP282MB3023C3409B51E4C0D263367EBE669%40MEYP282MB3023.AUSP282.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM.
Vyt Garnys (CETEC)
 |
Dr Vyt Garnys |
Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2023 12:47:52 PM
To: 'Planetary Restoration' <planetary-...@googlegroups.com>; healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com <healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com>; NOAC <noac-m...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: How Does Albedo Affect Climate?
Here is a newspaper article I wrote that was published today in the Canberra Times, calling for action to increase planetary albedo.
Robert Chris
Paul
Try this from NASA - 2 min video.
There's some useful stuff here. And in this 45 min video from Wisconsin University.
This
one is a bit technical for non-technical adults but there
are a couple of slides that could be very helpful.
Robert
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Planetary Restoration" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to planetary-restor...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/planetary-restoration/SA2PR03MB59323CF6F754F9C9C0792543DB669%40SA2PR03MB5932.namprd03.prod.outlook.com.
Stephen Salter
Paul
Attached to this and the next email are PowerPoint slides with notes about Marine Cloud brightening. Please mention John Latham and Sean Twomey.
The design of spray vessels shown is a bit out of date but work is nearly complete.
Let me know if the notes are not clear.
Stephen
From: 'Anderson, Paul' via NOAC Meetings <noac-m...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: 23 April 2023 04:30
To: Vyt Garnys (CETEC) <Vyt.G...@cetec.com.au>; rob...@rtulip.net; 'Planetary Restoration' <planetary-...@googlegroups.com>; healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com; NOAC <noac-m...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Seeking PowerPoint materials about How Does Albedo Affect Climate?
This email was sent to you by someone outside the University.
You should only click on links or attachments if you are certain that the email is genuine and the content is safe.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/noac-meetings/SA2PR03MB59323CF6F754F9C9C0792543DB669%40SA2PR03MB5932.namprd03.prod.outlook.com.
Daniel
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Planetary Restoration" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to planetary-restor...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/planetary-restoration/09a701d9758e%24024914d0%2406db3e70%24%40rtulip.net.
rob...@rtulip.net
Hi Daniel
The figure for 0.5% albedo reduction this century is from Earth's Albedo 1998–2017 as Measured From Earthshine, Goode et al, Geophysical Research Letters, 2021 (open access). As I mention in my email, CERES satellite data puts this reduction at 1.8%, with data up to three months ago.
Regards, Robert
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC)" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to healthy-planet-action...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/healthy-planet-action-coalition/CADtjw38g6sYf78j%3DkvbqXpZWJWjq6n2r3EhdR4FvH9xG1m01tA%40mail.gmail.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
rob...@rtulip.net
PRAG member Peter Lindenmayer had this response letter published in the Canberra Times.
How to cool the planet?
Robert Tulip's article "How does albedo affect climate?" (April 23) raises important issues usually neglected in discussions of climate change. Many climate change impacts have already outstripped even recent predictions. Current greenhouse gas levels have already started triggering positive feedback mechanisms such as loss of ice and snow cover and release of trapped methane.
As George Soros told the Munich Security Conference in February, "unless we change the way, we deal with climate change, our civilization will be thoroughly disrupted by rising temperatures".
It's now too late to rely only on emission reduction and carbon capture. We need to work out how we can more actively cool the planet. And yet there is very little discussion, even less research and almost no action to test the many possible planetary cooling technologies that have been proposed. To the three existing strategies of emission reduction, carbon capture and adaptation, serious climate action needs to add a fourth - techniques for planetary cooling.
From: rob...@rtulip.net <rob...@rtulip.net>
Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2023 12:48 PM
To: 'Planetary Restoration' <planetary-...@googlegroups.com>; 'healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com' <healthy-planet-...@googlegroups.com>; NOAC <noac-m...@googlegroups.com>
