Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Introduce by defining Marine Cloud Brightening
• Delve into potential benefits of MCB
• Highlight significant risks associated with it
• Conclude positively.

Introduction

Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) is a proposed geoengineering technique that aims to mitigate the effects of climate change by increasing the reflectivity of low-level marine clouds, thereby reflecting more incoming sunlight back into space and reducing the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the Earth's surface.

• The process involves spraying a fine mist of seawater particles into the atmosphere, which act as cloud condensation nuclei and promote the formation of brighter, more reflective clouds.
• These clouds have a higher albedo (reflectivity) and can reflect more incoming sunlight, potentially cooling the Earth's surface.

Body

Potential Benefits:

• Cooling Effect: MCB has the potential to reduce global temperatures by reflecting more sunlight back into space, potentially mitigating the effects of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
  • MCB could lessen extreme ocean heat, potentially safeguarding marine ecosystems like coral reefs facing bleaching threats.
• Buying Time for Emissions Cuts: MCB could provide a buffer while we transition to cleaner energy sources.
  • This buying time could allow for deeper cuts in emissions and avoid reaching catastrophic tipping points, like the irreversible melting of polar ice caps.
• Localized Impact: Unlike other geoengineering techniques that aim to achieve global cooling, MCB can be targeted to specific regions, allowing for more localized climate interventions.
  • For example, MCB could be deployed in areas particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels or extreme heat events.
• Reversibility: The effects of MCB are relatively short-lived, and if stopped, the Earth's climate would return to its previous state within a few years, making it a potentially reversible technique.
• Cost-effectiveness: Compared to other geoengineering techniques, MCB is considered relatively inexpensive and technologically feasible.

Potential Risks:

• Unintended Consequences: Like any large-scale intervention in the Earth's climate system, MCB carries the risk of unintended consequences that are difficult to predict, such as changes in precipitation patterns, ocean circulation, and ecosystem disruptions.
• Limited Scope: MCB might not be effective in all regions. Cloud types and atmospheric conditions can significantly impact its effectiveness.
  • Deploying MCB in the tropics, where clouds are already quite reflective, would likely have minimal impact on global warming.
• Spatial Variability: The cooling effects of MCB may not be evenly distributed, leading to regional disparities and potential conflicts over resource allocation and deployment.
• Moral Hazard: The perceived effectiveness of MCB could potentially reduce the urgency to address the root causes of climate change, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• International Governance: Deploying MCB unilaterally could trigger international disputes. Effective international agreements would be necessary for responsible implementation.

Conclusion

While MCB holds promise as a potential climate change mitigation strategy, its deployment on a large scale would require careful consideration of the risks, as well as robust governance frameworks and international cooperation to ensure responsible implementation and monitoring.