A recent study funded by @DegreesNGO, executed by @peteirvine & others aims "to assess the impact of #SAG on Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in the Gulf of Guinea & its causes using GLENS simulations performed under high anthropogenic emission scenario (RCP8.5)."
🧵 1/8
"Study focus on two dynamically different regions:
🔸Sassandra Upwelling in Côte d’Ivoire (SUC, located east of Cape Palmas)
🔸Takoradi Upwelling in Ghana (TUG, located east of Cape Three Points)" 2/8
Results show that "in the SUC region, under climate change, there is an increase in SST (referred to as the current climate) all year long (by 1.52 °C on average) mainly due to an < in net heat flux (lead by the > in longwave radiation) & also in weak vertical mixing." 3/8
"Under SAG, SST decreases all the seasonal cycle with its maximum in Dec (−0.4 °C) due to a reduction in the net heat flux (caused by a diminution of #SolarRadiation) & an increase in vertical advection (due to an increase in vertical temp. gradient & vertical velocity)." 4/8
"In the TUG region, under climate change, SST warming is a little more intense than in the SUC region and SST changes are driven by an increase in the net heat flux and strong stratification." 5/8
"The cooling of the SST in TUG is similar to the SUC region, but contrary to this region, the cooling
under SAG is not only explained by a decrease in the net heat flux but also by the remote forcing of
wind changes at the western equatorial Atlantic." 6/8
Read open access paper on "Impact of Stratospheric Geoengineering on Sea Surface
Temperature in the Northern Gulf of Guinea" ⬇️ mdpi.com/2225-1154/11/4…
🚨An analysis of forest-based projects funded through the sale of #CarbonCredits shows that 10% of them may have a net warming effect on the climate because of the way they alter the Earth’s #albedo, or how much sunlight is reflected back into space.
DETAILS🧵1/12
2/ Albedo is how much sunlight Earth’s surface reflects vs. absorbs
Forests are darker than grass or snow, meaning they absorb more heat
So when grasslands or snowy areas are turned into forests, Earth’s surface can absorb more heat, partly cancelling out cooling effect of #CDR
3/ So, this study analyzed 172 Afforestation, Reforestation & Revegetation projects in the Voluntary Carbon Market - projects that collectively aim to deliver nearly 800 million tons of CDR over the next century.
But none of these projects’ standards account for albedo change.
🚨Can buildings remove CO₂ while cooling indoor air?
A new study shows that adding CO₂ capture units (#DAC) to building cooling systems can cut energy use by over 50% & remove atmospheric carbon, even in hot, humid places.
Details🧵1/10
2/ Buildings use a lot of energy. About 37% of global energy & 40% of CO₂ emissions.
Cooling is the biggest part, taking almost 40% of building electricity.
As the planet warms, cooling demand rises, creating a vicious cycle.
3/ Direct Air Capture extracts CO₂ directly from ambient air, unlike point-source capture.
But adsorption-based DAC struggles in humid environments: water competes with CO₂ for sorbent sites, making it very energy-hungry.
🚨A new study presents the 1st structural prototype of a planetary sunshade - a large space-based system at L1 designed to block some sunlight & cool Earth.
Using solar sails, deployable booms & CubeSat-based frames, it outlines a pathway for space-based #geoengineering.🧵1/11
2/ The planetary sunshade would function as a vast array of satellites at the Sun–Earth L1 point, collectively blocking ~1.8% of incoming photons - enough to reduce global temperatures by ~2 °C.
"Unlike #SAI or orbital dust, it promises uniform, reversible cooling."
3/ The team followed European spacecraft design standards, testing different ideas with decision matrices & computer simulations (finite element analysis) to choose materials & structures that could actually survive launch.
🚨New Viewpoint published in Frontiers that responds to Siegert et al.’s paper.
While Siegert et al. warn against polar #geoengineering, Moore et al. argue for a compassionate harm-reduction paradigm, keeping geoengineering research open alongside decarbonization.
Their case: interventions are risky, may not work, and could distract from the essential task which is deep decarbonization.frontiersin.org/journals/scien…
3/ Moore et al. [] reply that this “consequences-based paradigm” (raising alarms to spur action), has dominated climate science for 50 years.