Thanks for this! Here's the comment I posted: Climate change caused by the anthropogenic enhancement of the greenhouse effect is affecting the ecosystems on which life on Earth depends. The consequences of various forms of climate intervention both in ameliorating and exacerbating risks and damages to biodiversity, ecosystem productivity, the distribution of species and natural communities of plants and animals has only barely begun to be addressed, much less understood. The definition of goals in relevant areas of scientific research must include the goal of research to understand the relative risks of various climate intervention proposals and scenarios relative to the risks of climate change (with or without emission reduction), as well as the likely potential benefits and harms to specific ecosystems. This ecological research must be a cooperative effort between climate scientists and ecologists, including participants in universities, federal laboratories, and federal agencies (Park Service, Forest Service) with the goal of understanding how to best protect and restore our nation's natural systems. Funding and initiatives to do so should include NSF, EPA, NOAA, DARPA and other relevant agencies, and include both directed and undirected (investigator driven) research support. It is critically important that ecologists be given a "seat at the table" in all discussions involving understanding the potential impacts and risks of climate intervention, in addition to climate scientists, engineers, economists, political scientists and other social scientists, and other stakeholders. Support for international collaboration in these efforts to understand the implications of climate intervention for ecological systems is also of critical importance, because the effects of climate intervention are global, and preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity is an urgent global issue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jessica Gurevitch Distinguished Professor and Co-Chair Department of Ecology and Evolution Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245 USA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [image: width=] <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> Virus-free.www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> On Thu, Sep 8, 2022 at 6:53 PM Ron Baiman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > *Request for Public Comments:* > > > In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, the White House Office of > Science and Technology Policy <https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/legal/> (OSTP), > in coordination with relevant Federal agencies, was directed by Congress to > develop a five-year “scientific assessment of solar and other rapid climate > interventions in the context of near-term climate risks and hazards. The > report shall include: > > 1. > > the definition of goals in relevant areas of scientific research; > 2. > > capabilities required to model, analyze, observe, and monitor > atmospheric composition; > 3. > > climate impacts and the Earth's radiation budget; and > 4. > > the coordination of Federal research and investments to deliver this > assessment to manage near-term climate risk and research in climate > intervention. > > > > OSTP recognizes the importance of this research topic. With the assistance > of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, OSTP is offering a brief > comment period to enable public input while also providing a timely > response to Congress. The focus of this plan will be on research > associated with climate intervention, and comments are being requested in > that context only. > > > > Input should be narrative only (i.e., no figures, graphics, or > attachments), should be limited to 1,000 words, should respond to the > Congressional direction above, and should relate either to one of the four > categories listed in legislative language or more generally to climate > intervention research. Input must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on > September 9, 2022. > > > > Posted, Aug 19, 2022 > > Open Notice, > https://www.globalchange.gov/content/request-input-five-year-climate-intervention-research-plan > > Individuals interested in submitting comment should visit > contribute.globalchange.gov > > *HPAC Submission* > > Healthy Planet Action Coalition USGCRP RCI Comment > > The Healthy Planet Action Coalition is a diverse international group of > scientists, engineers, technologists, and public policy experts active in > relevant fields spanning all aspects of climate change. > > We are united by a determined and informed optimism that a threefold > approach can prevent climate catastrophes and restore a more benevolent > climate. We call this approach “The Climate Triad”. > > The Climate Triad of Direct Climate Cooling (DCC), GHG Emissions > Reductions, and Greenhouse Gas Removal (GHGR) works as a complementary > system to stabilize and moderate the climate and ultimately restore a safe, > healthy, and sustainable planet. Creating this system requires a > collaborative, inclusive, and expedited research program with a priority > focus on direct climate cooling. HPAC offers these recommendations for > the development of such a program. > > > > (1) The definition of goals in relevant areas of scientific research > > > > The Healthy Planet Action Coalition calls on the White House to set direct > climate cooling, greenhouse gas removal and emission reduction as co-equal > priorities. An overall goal of keeping temperature rise below 1.5°C could > be achieved by a primary focus in this decade on cooling technologies to > increase planetary albedo, cut radiative forcing, and implement other > methods for direct climate cooling. Urgent direct climate cooling is now > necessary to reduce current and near term human and other species harm and > risk from current and near term future levels of global warming. Due to > this urgency, we ask that the proposed five year research and > implementation plan, depending on the method, be accelerated to one or two > years. > > > > The following is a menu of proposed climate cooling approaches that we > suggest merit early consideration and responsible investigation with > actions that can be monitored and reported on: > > - > > Buoyant Flakes > - > > Cirrus cloud thinning > - > > Fizz Tops (Fiztops) > - > > Ice Shields to thicken polar ice > - > > Iron salt aerosol (ISA) > - > > Making building and paving material more reflective and planting trees > in urban areas. > - > > Marine algal bloom stimulation > - > > Marine cloud brightening > - > > Mirrors for Earth's Energy Rebalancing (MEER) > - > > Ocean thermal energy conversion > > > - > > Restoring natural upwelling and kelp forest ecosystem services offshore > - > > Restoring soil and vegetation > - > > Seawater atomization (Seatomizers) > - > > Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) > - > > Surface Albedo Modification (SAM) > > Short summaries for most of these methods written or reviewed by climate > cooling experts cited in the document are available here: > https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TowThwi6j6cX3iLGBRrj22D30cYhKa_9/edit > > > > Relevant scientific research on direct climate cooling methods and > technologies currently being conducted include marine cloud brightening, > stratospheric aerosol injection, sea-ice freezing, ocean thermal energy > conversion, ocean and glacier microspheres, terrestrial and atmospheric > mirrors, cirrus cloud thinning, iron salt aerosols, and white reflective > rooftops and streets. > > Refreezing the poles should be a global climate priority in support of > national and international security, biodiversity protection, and reducing > extreme weather and sea level rise. US encouragement of COP27 in Cairo to > set goals on albedo and biodiversity would sharpen research priorities. > > > > (2) Capabilities required to model, analyze, observe, and monitor > atmospheric composition > > > > A direct climate cooling program will require major capabilities in > atmospheric science, enabling scientific experts to provide direct advice > to government and industry on priorities and findings. Modeling, analysis, > observation and monitoring of the atmosphere must guide climate > intervention priorities and programs. Research, testing and deployment > strategies require high level scientific skills in universities, supported > by public and private investment. > > > > A way to encourage investment in cooling expertise is to introduce direct > climate cooling credits as a more immediate climate offset than carbon > credits. Coordination of atmospheric science with governance systems is > essential to enforce ethical standards, ensure safety and consultation > through transparent and accountable planning and delivery, and link with > international diplomacy on programs such as refreezing the Arctic. > > > > (3) Climate impacts and the Earth's radiation budget > > > > A focus on cooling technology is the best way to mitigate climate impacts > and improve the Earth’s radiation budget in the near term, alongside > ongoing work on emission reduction and GHG removal as they take effect over > the longer-term. The best overall measure of climate impacts is radiative > forcing, the excess of incoming over outgoing radiation at the top of the > atmosphere. Government and private funds should be applied to methods that > most effectively cut radiative forcing. Augmenting the current carbon > credit system with a system of direct climate cooling credits would better > cost the temperature impact of emission reduction, greenhouse gas removal > and direct cooling technology. > > > > (4) Coordination of Federal research and investments to deliver this > assessment to manage near-term climate risk and research in climate > intervention. > > > > The USA should coordinate with other nations to develop a cooperative > international program to refreeze the Arctic Ocean. Domestic US resources > should be mobilized to support coordinated global and regional climate > cooling. Arctic Amplification (with up to four times the temperature rise > of the equator) and the role of Arctic sea-ice in regulating climate > through the jet stream and ocean currents make the Arctic Circle the most > serious planetary warming risk and cooling priority. Substantial cooling > of the Arctic must be complemented by similar cooling of the Antarctic to > achieve a stable global climate benefit. Ongoing disruption of these > planetary systems is a major climate security risk, whereas action to > reverse the disruption has benefits for peacebuilding, biodiversity and > mitigation of warming. Climate security should be integrated with military > security as part of national strategic priority setting and risk > assessment. Diplomacy through the Arctic Council and COP27 and other > relevant international bodies should engage on the urgency of cooling the > pole, laying a foundation for the USA to work with other interested > governments to test and deploy methods that will help reverse the current > warming trend. Coordinated research and investment can be promoted by the > USA taking a strong stance at COP27 and in other relevant international > forums in favor of assessing direct cooling technology and refreezing the > Arctic Ocean. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "geoengineering" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CAPhUB9AtiHkp7VHdDJBqBDG2DJAyOJ%2BJh5J%2BnmWQyY4TVoecpw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/geoengineering/CAPhUB9AtiHkp7VHdDJBqBDG2DJAyOJ%2BJh5J%2BnmWQyY4TVoecpw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > [image: width=] <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> Virus-free.www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. 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