U.S. Climate Policy Must Address Near-Term Climate Risk

[Andrew Lockley]

https://www.silverlining.ngo/blog-feed/us-climate-policy-must-address-near-term-climate-risk-silverlinings-recommendations-to-the-biden-harris-administration

Extract 

Substantially increase investments in climate research, climate intervention research, and reduction of short-lived climate forcers 

Expanding government resources dedicated to climate intervention research is the single biggest step the Biden-Harris administration can take to address near-term climate risks. Such research will help support a safe climate for future generations and has remained an area of bipartisan support. Policymakers will need a strong foundation of knowledge to be able to make informed, science-based decisions related to escalating climate impacts and the potential use of climate interventions. The knowledge can only be gained with an immediate and robust expansion of research efforts.

To accelerate progress, the Biden-Harris administration should substantially increase investments in climate research and earth system prediction, with the potential for an "Operation Warp Speed" focused on climate prediction. The incoming administration should also prioritize fast-acting solutions and establish a national climate intervention research effort to assess the benefits and risks of methods to rapidly reduce warming. This would allow the U.S. to build capabilities to inform assessment of solar climate interventions within five years, accelerating relevant research efforts in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), and other agencies