University of Washington is assessing efficacy of a Geoengineering method under Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) Programme | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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    University of Washington is assessing efficacy of a Geoengineering method under Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) Programme

    Posted 22 Apr 2024

    2 min read

    • The MCB programme seeks to increase the number of cloud condensation nuclei in low marine clouds (formed over oceans and reefs with the help of sea salt crystals).
      •  Increasing nuclei would raise the number of droplets that such clouds are made of while decreasing their size, so that they reflect more sunlight into space.
    • Geoengineering refers to a set of emerging technologies that could manipulate the environment and partially offset some of the impacts of climate change.

     

    • Types of Geoengineering: 
      • Solar Radiation Management: It reflects sunlight back into space. E.g. Using orbiting mirrors, modifying clouds, etc.
      • Carbon Dioxide Removal: In it, techniques suck carbon out of the atmosphere using a combination of biological and mechanical methods. E.g. Seeding ocean with iron pellets to create plankton blooms.
      • Earth Radiation Management: It allows heat to escape into space from Earth. For instance, by thinning cirrus clouds.

     

    • Concerns associated with Geoengineering: 
      • Aerosol particles in the stratosphere could have implications for recovery of ozone layer.
      • Repercussions for weather patterns in the lower atmosphere.
      • Creating a “moral hazard”, providing stakeholders with an excuse to not reduce the use of fossil fuels.
    • Tags :
    • Geoengineering
    • Solar Radiation Management
    • Carbon Dioxide Removal

    Articles Sources

    https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2024/04/16/what-is-geoengineering
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