Albedo Enhancement

The combination of albedo loss, accumulated Greenhouse gases and El Nino will probably make 2024 a hellish US summer and this trend is accelerating.

Reduction of Carbon Emissions to net zero is a distant possibility and even then the planet will continue to warm due to albedo loss. There is a deficit of 500,000 sq. km of arctic winter sea ice with its snow topping in a recent  8 year period. Clean snow has an albedo of approximately 0.8 but the ocean only 0.06 so it soaks up this new area of energy impingement and warms the ocean.

Snow cover on land is much harder to measure due to cloud cover interference but it is agreed that snow cover in the USA is much reduced, Probably, far more albedo is lost on land in duration and energy absorbed per day than the sea ice due to higher Radiation Forcing (RF) factors over land. 

Pollution reduction from ship and factory smokestacks has resulted in less Cloud Condensing Nuclei (CCN) being available and lower cloud formation rates and more cloud albedo loss ("Clearer skies may be accelerating global warming" Science Vol 384 Issue 6692).  Healthy readily available alternative CCN can be generated with ocean fertilization or on land simulation.

The hidden or very recent values of these Albedo Losses have made them underappreciated and yet they are leveraging the heat from the GH Gases such that scientists have been surprised by the rate of heating of the ocean and public anxiety over climate change and understood climate difference is increasing rapidly amongst most.

 The passion of those seeking net zero carbon solutions including brilliant professors is so great and needs support from the public that they do not dare consider mitigation methods. Albedo Enhancement is a mitigation method but is accompanied by carbon sequestration which can be massive in the ocean and very significant on land due to better survival of multiple biomes. They disparage it as some will use it to disregard the prime problem of emission reduction and this is true. However, both are essential for civilization's survival.

Although true, that the fossil fuel industry will claim Albedo Enhancement can partly offset their emissions, the cost of those projects gives a new additional measure to the cost of Greenhouse Gases and hence helps determine their tax liability. Their survival will eventually compel them to support AE.

Albedo Enhancement (AE) and Albedo Loss are both underappreciated. Sufficient geoengineering using AE can cool the world until we can invest sufficiently in renewable energy. One project open to utilization on land is "prototyped" by the White Sands Monument and consists of gypsum spread on the ground. Measurements taken (Reference in my article in MDPI Climate Journal Mar 7 2023 which focuses on albedo and has had over 4600 views) indicate very significant cooling due to the albedo of the white sands. The same effect can be achieved with the revitalization of salt flats or the spreading of white rocks on desert, arid (low-cost), or viable land and maintaining their albedo.

Albedo Loss is accelerating as indicated by the loss of 500,000 sq km of winter arctic ice over an 8-year period. Typically topped with white snow with an albedo of up to 0.8, this loss is exaggerated by the low albedo of the exposed ocean of 0.06 which allows additional ocean warming. The measure of snow cover loss on land is less available (it is agreed that there is significantly less snow cover in the USA) but probably exceeds that on the ocean and occurs where much higher amounts of radiation occur and hence warming is greater. 

Equal areas of surface algae, salt flat rejuvenation (or land-based AE), and marine cloud brightening (shown in Figure 3 from the article) and new cloud formation can all generate temporary atmospheric carbon reduction equivalence and once this is recognized by Carbon traders they can earn carbon credit exports from salt flats in Ethiopia to gypsum or limestone mine usage in Argentina and in a other thousand sites. Ethiopia has to roll over a 1 billion Euro loan this year and needs the exports or the demonstrated potential. The same opportunity exists in many countries in dire financial circumstances. The world economy would benefit from a thousand such projects and the developed countries could finance their initiation and rightfully claim some climate justice dispensed and significant profits.

 My preliminary calculations in the article are illustrated in Figure 3: Estimates AE values from land (such as salt flats), marine cloud brightening (MCB), new clouds or near-surface algae creation (AEfACL). 

When this becomes accepted by Carbon Credit Traders, then the world changes and results in projects similar to the following:

10,000 sq km of salt flats boosted by 50 W/m2 will offset 18,400 x 2 x 10,000 =368,000,000 tons of atmospheric carbon while it remains reflective. At $1 per ton-year this would earn $368,000,000 per annum and cool the area by 600,000 x 2 x 10,000 kWh =12,000,000,000 kWh per day.

This would lower local temperatures, reduce heat waves, encourage crop survival downwind, boost export income from carbon credits, provide local employment, provide some climate justice and a high income and/or carbon offset for the entrepreneurs initiating the project.

Projects to enhance albedo in developing countries will employ people to produce the white rock ground cover or rejuvenate salt flats and maintain them. The nearby crops will be less subject to heat waves and the soil under the rock will retain more moisture. Working in the fields will be more tolerable.

The intermingling of White rock areas, and crop areas is worth exploring as it cools the crop yet reflects some light onto it and thus speeds growth. The rocks would sustain moisture longer in the soil under them. This happens with partial limestone fields and vines. However mechanical equipment is jeopardized by rocks so a degree of separation is usually necessary with mechanical farming, or, innovative new equipment designs are needed.

Large projects will generate carbon credits and their sale will reduce their balance of payments and help repay loans.

Light roofs will cool the houses and reduce the need for Air conditioning in developed countries and provide employment to paint them and replace roofing. Light colored roofs on ALL the world's buildings and houses may be enough to offset the mid 2019 Earth Energy Imbalance (EEI) of mid 2019 of 1.12 w/m2. Note the wisdom of the coloring of much Mediterranean housing. 

Migration will not be so compelled by crop failure and unbearable heat.

Air conditioning will not be so necessary and power usage for it will be decreased. 

 Ocean fertilization and artificial upwelling will reduce ocean temperatures due to cloud production caused by Dimethyl sulfide gas (DMS) output from the algae both whilst alive, for some species,  and in decomposing for most. Hurricanes and storms will be weakened.

Eventually, the world will stop getting hotter and stabilize.  

One Harvard professor who only read the abstract of my article said "we don't need another measure" and I am sure he does not. But understanding the potency of CO2 density and its equivalence to heat and albedo is far beyond that of most of the world's population. 

Many Americans think that cleaning up roadside rubbish is morally equivalent to dealing with global emissions. However, they do what they can as they have not been empowered to contribute to say a Light Roof campaign to reduce the temperature in buildings without air conditioning and to reduce the power requirements of those with air conditioning. They might join such a campaign if they understood albedo and it was offered. Such work can be valued in carbon equivalents per sq km of whitened roofs and rewarded.   

However, understanding the shading of a cloud and its cooling as it passes over is understood by most of the world and so the article uses that standard measure. Then understanding reflection and albedo are a small step away and could/should be taught in primary school.

The article is written to generate understanding in those with some scientific knowledge. There are millions capable of understanding and acting if directed and incentivized. I plan to write another article highlighting Albedo Loss and Albedo Enhancement and this will further assist understanding in global communities and board rooms.

Action will occur when Carbon Credit Traders accept the findings and justify investment by developed countries in developing countries. If my findings need correction or adjustment I will do so.

Then my 'team' of a thousand independent entrepreneurs locally in developing countries and internationally with adequate resources will scour the planet looking for the best opportunities to become albedo millionaires and billionaires. They will eventually generate carbon credits to allow industry everywhere to become net zero. Deserts, arid lands and oceans are the areas where costs are lowest and results potentially the greatest. 

So, my prime audience, if I can win your support, is the offices and ears of the carbon credit traders.  

The simple answer is to provide a positive cash flow for albedo enhancement to all concerned. It can be highly profitable in all countries and in all oceans once measurement methods and governance methods are finalized and values  agreed.

The prototype is the White Sands Monument which has large areas of white sand gypsum and which has been studied:

This example of AE on land is given by Fishman et al. (1994), who studied the meteorological effects of the gypsum at the White Sands National Monument and White Sands Missile Range in the USA and found “very significant cooling due to its high albedo”. Analysis indicates that the high-albedo surface has a measurable impact on the air temperature within the White Sands area compared with air temperatures from the surrounding missile range. On average, the White Sands area was 1–2 °C cooler than its surroundings during daytime hours in August 1992 and June 1993, and was up to 6 °C cooler at times. This difference in air temperature is attributed mainly to differences in albedo; the dunes have an average measured albedo of 0.60, whereas the surrounding desert areas have an average albedo of 0.20–0.25. On average, the soil (measured at ~1 cm below surface) was 5 °C cooler than that of the surrounding darker area and up to 15 °C cooler at times. No direct correlation between soil temperatures and air temperatures could be established with the available data.  

Instrument testing and development there would be very valuable so they could be used for verification and governance worldwide of such projects. With Government permission, the White Sands would be a great site for low- cost drone carried instrument development suitable for developing countries to supplement satellite and on ground measurements.

There are multitudinous problems far beyond my scope but the key one to solve is acceptance by the Carbon credit traders of the carbon equivalence of Albedo Enhancement (or loss).

This will unleash market forces and government support which will solve all other problems.

Only the quantification of Albedo Enhancement in Atmospheric carbon equivalent terms is innovative and even though 4600 plus views have not suggested corrections to that quantification I am open to doing so. I am sure the principles will stand.

As presented: 25 W/m2 of radiation reflected over an area of 1 sq. km for one day will offset 600,000 kWh and 18,300 tons of atmospheric carbon for the duration of the increased albedo.   

Once an opportunity to improve their immediate and general environment has a positive cash flow associated, entrepreneurs and populations will take action everywhere to increase albedo.

The first value provided by a carbon credit trader to an albedo enhancement proposed project built on further data and instrument development from the White Sands Memorial.

Progress initially will be moral and financial backing from MIT and partners  

Albedo Enhancement on land

White limestone pebbles around vines have not been fully recognized for this role of additional illumination of the growing vine followed by water retention in the heat due to the cooler soil together with a healthier microbiome due to reduction in soil temperature fluctuation.  

Albedo Enhancement on the ocean

Low cost low maintenance artificial upwelling devices (patents pending) can raise cold nutrient rich water to offset bleaching of coral, overheating of kelp forests  and seagrass beds thus protecting shorelines.

The same in clusters can weaken hurricanes or divert them with cold surface water and prior to their arrival raise nutrients to create algal blooms and boost the food chain, fish populations, tourism, sport fisheries, aquaculture, surface water albedo and dimethyl sulfide production to provide Cloud Condensing Nuclei (CCN) for Marine Cloud Brightening and new cloud formation.

The lowest cost solution to the heat will be massive controlled and carefully monitored fertilization of sections of the ocean to generate 22.4 million sq. km of new cloud with a Radiative Forcing of 25 W/m2 . That will offsset 1.12 W/m2 which is the Earth Energy Imbalance of mid 2019 as defined by Loeb et al (see ref in Articel)      

Sole employee, myself, so far. 

Expect to hire personnel shortly when grant applications are successful. 

5.5 years pro bono

In October 2018 I realized that flooding of the 10,000 sq km Lake Eyre in South Australia, my home state, could have a cooling effect and contribute to offsetting global warming. Part of that project was the use of reflective salt flats frequently revitalized by flooding. This more promising portion was expanded in my research to cover land sea and sky.  The paper of Mar 7, 2023, was the first result and several patents pending are in effect for devices to enable the projects outlined in the paper.

It is planned that licensing will support the foundation after my retirement.    

All my plans are for global applications of Albedo Enhancement and as such personnel will need to be diverse and preferably multilingual to be able to communicate effectively.   

A Reduction in heat waves, crop failures, freshwater evaporative loss, wildfires, droughts, floods and migration.

Revenues for developing countries through the production of carbon credits 

Climate justice dispensed and profits earned by the albedo millionaires of the furture as they initiate projects on land and sea in and near developing countries. 

Increased Government stability when millions are shown how they can fight and win this only worthwhile war against climate change. 

Up to 2 percent increase in global GDP through the provision of new income sources from carbon credits to developing countries. 

Avoidance of a 10% decrease in global GDP due to the unexpectedly savage effect of Albedo loss as it leaverages the GreenHouse gases to create a premature hell on earth with unexpectedly rapid heat increases

I am working on many patents of which three are patent pending and others are Provisional. these will provide license fees to the Foundation or to a subsidiary (the Foundation can not be profitable but a subsidiary may).

Grants and patent sharing will assist in the prototype development of these products which are all related to and contribute to Albedo Enhancement on land air and sea.