https://esd.copernicus.org/preprints/esd-2021-85/

Exploration of a novel geoengineering solution: lighting up tropical
forests at night


Xueyuan Gao, Shunlin Liang, Dongdong Wang, Yan Li, Bin He, Aolin Jia

Abstract.

Plants primarily conduct photosynthesis in the daytime, offering an
opportunity to increase photosynthesis and carbon sink by providing light
at night. We used a fully coupled Earth System Model to quantify the carbon
sequestration and climate effects of a novel carbon removal proposal:
lighting up tropical forests at night via lamp networks above the forest
canopy. Simulation results show that additional light increased tropical
forest carbon sink by 10.4 ± 0.05 petagrams of carbon per year during a
16-year lighting experiment, resulting in a decrease in atmospheric CO2 and
suppression of global warming. In addition, local temperature and
precipitation increased. The energy requirement for capturing one ton of
carbon is lower than that of Direct Air Carbon Capture. When the lighting
experiment was terminated, tropical forests started to release carbon
slowly. This study suggests that lighting up tropical forests at night
could be an emergency solution to climate change, and carbon removal
actions focused on enhancing ecosystem productivity by altering
environmental factors in the short term could induce post-action CO2
 outgassing.

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