🔎 What’s going on?
An ambitious ‘cloud brightening’ experiment has been trialled at the Great Barrier Reef to protect the reef from global warming.
⛅ Wow, what does this mean?
Between 25 and 28 March, a team of researchers from the University of Sydney, Queensland University of Technology and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science carried out this experiment off Broadhurst Reef in Queensland.
Essentially, this experiment brightens existing clouds above the Great Barrier Reef. It does not make new clouds and completely relies on natural processes. A modified turbine on a ship takes seawater, converts it into fine particles or droplets and it’s sprayed back into the air over the Reef. These droplets mix with low-lying clouds and brighten clouds. That process cools down the temperature of the water because the clouds reflect a lot more sunlight and can stop coral bleaching. A separate vessel, 5km away was able to detect the mist generated from the turbine.
This is one of 43 solutions that are being tested to stop or reverse coral bleaching by the Australian government research programme worth $150million.
❓Why should I care?
In 2018, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a landmark report that says 70%-90% of coral reefs will die if global temperatures rise to 1.5C. Coral Reefs are one of the richest diverse ecosystems in the world as each unit of the area supports 4000 species of fish.
In 2020, the Great Barrier Reef experienced its third outbreak of mass coral bleaching in five years. Coral bleaching happens when healthy corals (that are brightly coloured) get stressed by changes in ocean temperature. So they push the algae out of their living tissues whilst turning white, and eventually, die.
🚦 Where do we need to be?
Despite this solution being trialled, it does not substitute for the need to reduce global carbon emissions. This solution just buys us some extra time, perhaps a couple of decades at the current rate of warming. Reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050 is where we need to be.
👤 What can I do about it?
Top three actions you can take to reduce your personal carbon footprint today:
- Switch to renewable energy
- Switch to a plant-based diet
- Reduce food waste