New Climate Studies and Public Engagement Center launch in the San Francisco Bay Area

Alameda, CA [April 3, 2024] — The Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) Program, an open collaboration of atmospheric scientists and other experts to study how clouds respond to particles — also called aerosols — in the atmosphere, initiated new climate studies and launched the Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement (CAARE) facility at the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate located in Alameda, California. 

This research aims to further our understanding of how interactions between aerosols and clouds impact our climate system, and to investigate the feasibility and potential impacts of reducing climate warming by intentionally increasing the reflection of sunlight from marine clouds. An overarching goal of the research is to provide open, objective scientific information to help improve society’s ability to understand the climate system and to address near-term climate risks.

Led by the University of Washington, the MCB Program is a collaboration of over 40 interdisciplinary experts from the UW, SRI, University of Victoria, SilverLining, and other institutions to study these topics and engage openly on the research and its findings. 

Aerosol particles in the atmosphere from both natural sources (such as dust, biological emissions and sea spray) and human activities (such as combustion engines and fossil fuel power plants) mix into low clouds causing a cooling effect on the Earth’s climate, offsetting between 10% and 40% of global warming from greenhouse gases. Air quality-related declines in these aerosols may cause even more climate warming. In recent decades, scientists have proposed using sea-salt particles to brighten marine clouds to produce a cleaner version of this effect, derived from nature. 

Atmospheric scientists are still not certain just how much pollution aerosols are cooling the climate.  The uncertainty in this number leads to uncertainty about how much warming to expect in the coming decades, one of the largest and most important uncertainties in climate change. These landmark studies and CAARE facility are a groundbreaking advance in society’s ability to research, explore, and weigh critical aspects of addressing near-term climate risks. 

As humans consider changes to our aerosol emissions — either reducing them via regulation and technology, or pursuing intentional marine cloud brightening as a climate intervention — the world needs a stronger scientific understanding of these processes to inform decisions about them.

The Program includes multiple, parallel research efforts in different areas to help achieve this, including global, regional and high-resolution modeling; analysis of observations; studies of sea-salt particle (aerosol) generation; and scientific studies of atmospheric processes using small-scale releases of particles to help inform model simulations of their effects at larger scales.

In addition to advancing its scientific goals, the MCB Program’s intent is to serve as an exemplary model for open, public-interest research and field studies of clouds and aerosols. To that end, the Program is launching a new facility for scientific research and public engagement, the Coastal Atmospheric Aerosol Research and Engagement (CAARE) facility. CAARE is designed to support scientific studies of aerosols in the marine atmosphere; to provide a facility for environmental studies for regulators; and to provide a means of direct engagement with the public and other stakeholders, including Global South communities, Indigenous Peoples, youth and historically underserved communities who are often the most vulnerable to climate change. 

“Improving our understanding of the influence of aerosols on clouds and climate is essential to understanding near-term climate risks, and whether and how marine cloud brightening could help reduce them,” said atmospheric scientist and UW MCB Program Director Sarah Doherty. “If we don’t improve our knowledge now, we’ll be flying blind. The international community needs the best information it can get in order to chart a responsible course into a future with a rapidly changing climate.”

“The world needs to rapidly advance its understanding of the effects of aerosol particles on climate.” said Kelly Wanser, Executive Director of SilverLining. “Ranked the top institution for atmospheric science in the world, and with a deep commitment to open science and a culture of humility, the University of Washington has developed an approach that integrates science with societal engagement, and can help society in essential steps toward advancing science, developing regulations, promoting equitable and effective decision-making, and building shared understanding in these areas.  We are very honored to partner with them in these efforts.” 

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Recent stories in The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Media Contact: Jesus Chavez, jesus@singularity.green

About SilverLining:

SilverLining is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that society has sufficient options to protect the world’s most vulnerable people and ecosystems from the impacts of near-term climate change. Like a medical foundation, SilverLining works to advance research, promote effective policies, and engage with the public in its efforts to ensure a safe climate. For more information, visit www.silverlining.ngo.

About the University of Washington:

Established in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the pre-eminent public higher education and research institutions in the world. With an enrollment of 60,000 students across more than 200 academic majors, the UW is dedicated to providing access to an excellent education for all students. The University is home to more than 100 members of the U.S. National Academies and elite programs in many fields, and is consistently among the nation's top five universities in receipt of federal research funding. Learn more at washington.edu.