Despite being a retired aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet is the launching pad for a controversial new war in the skies.
of
Ocean cloud brightening programThe Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement Project, led by researchers at the University of Washington, boarded the deck of the Hornet on Tuesday and launched a stream of particles into the skies above San Francisco Bay. Their ultimate purpose, apparently, is to block and reflect sunlight in the hope of limiting “global warming.”
Researchers at CAARE, which is behind the geoengineering project, have reportedly chosen not to publish their experiments, citing concerns that there could be a major backlash.
At the end of the day, the American people, at least the residents of Alameda, want to hear first from the hundreds of scientists who are demanding non-use agreements for solar radiation management and who say in their report: You might think so.
open letter “The risks of solar geoengineering are poorly understood and can never be completely known. Impacts vary by region, and there is uncertainty about the impact on weather patterns, agriculture, and basic food and water supplies. there is.”
experiment
Clouds reflect some of the sun’s rays back into space. This is thought to help lower local temperatures.
University of Washington School of Atmospheric Sciences
Conceded a point Fossil fuel emissions and other human activities have long produced aerosols in the atmosphere that mix with low-altitude clouds, making them brighter and reflecting more sunlight, which contributes to Earth’s climate. It is believed that it has a cooling effect.
“I think most people are aware that there are greenhouse gas effects that are warming the climate,” says Sarah Doherty, MCB program director at the University of California.
Said weather forecast channel. “But what most people don’t realize is that the particles we produce and add to the atmosphere are offsetting some of the climate warming. So the overall impact is One of the impacts of climate warming is going to be huge.”Without particulate pollution, much more could be achieved. ”
Climate change watchers worry that estimated global temperatures and the resulting war on fossil fuels will surely rob clouds of their brighteners, and some scientists are looking to create their own aerosols. Eager to get rid of it.
“We’re very excited about this new technology,” said Robert Wood, lead scientist at the University of California who runs the cloud project.
I got it. His university blog says it was developed by a team at the CAARE facility.Cloud Aerosol Research Instrument (CARI)” The device appears to have multiple nozzles, similar to a snowmaker, and can shoot trillions of salt particles into the air.
UW noted that once such particles are released, they remain suspended in the atmosphere for only a few days.
wood
Said A San Francisco Chronicle simulation predicts that if 15% of Earth’s ocean clouds were artificially brightened, the planet could become about 1 degree colder.
according to According to the New York Times, CAARE researchers used the CARI instrument aboard the USS Hornet last week to confirm that the machine that fires particles and brightens clouds works as expected outside the lab. Tested.
The Chronicle suggested that the next stage of research will involve attempts to actually interfere with clouds off the coast of California.
Concerns
“Every year we set new climate records, record temperatures and heatwaves, the field is looking at more alternatives,” Wood told the Times. “Even things that may have once been relatively extreme.”
Contrary to Woods’ insinuations, many still think ocean cloud brightness is an extreme and potentially wasted effort.
The Congressional Research Service notes that MCBs and other forms of solar radiation regulation may ultimately do little to reduce global temperatures.
I got it. The May 2023 report includes several “modeling studies” [marine cloud brightening] This suggests that it has the potential to change precipitation patterns at global and regional levels. ”
2017 study published in Nature Communications
shown Aerosols released in the Northern Hemisphere alone could even lead to increased droughts, hurricanes, and storms in other regions.
Late last month, a group of 31 top atmospheric scientists
I got it. The paper, published in Science Advances, states that there is currently “a lack of clear understanding of the relationship between aerosols, meteorological conditions, liquid water and cloud fraction adjustments and their time scales.”
“Regional changes in temperature and precipitation can affect heat stress, water availability, crop productivity, and the ability of local communities to thrive,” the scientists added, potentially affecting the survival of MCBs. He emphasized the need to assess possibilities and risks.
Widespread concerns about the feasibility and fallout of such a test prompted the Biden administration to distance itself from the CAARE test, despite President Joe Biden.
signed Congress’ 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act provides funding for “scientific evaluations of solar power and other rapid climate interventions that take into account short-term climate risks and hazards,” including aerosol injection.
“The U.S. government is not involved in solar radiation modification (SRM) experiments being conducted in Alameda, California, or elsewhere,” the White House said in a statement to the Times.
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