scholarly journals Deliberate enhancement of rainfall using desert plantations

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (38) ◽  
pp. 18841-18847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Branch ◽  
Volker Wulfmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Cloud Seeding ◽  
Weather Modification ◽  
Change Mitigation

Large-scale afforestation is increasingly being considered as a negative emissions method for sequestering large quantities of atmospheric CO2. At the same time, regional weather modification methods, like cloud seeding, are being used to counteract increasing water scarcity in arid regions. Large-scale sustainable desert agroforestry plantations can contribute to climate change mitigation and can also be used to modify regional climate, particularly rainfall. Climate impacts from plantations need to be well understood before considering implementation. Typically, impact studies are attempted at continental or global scales and use coarse-resolution models, which suffer from severe systematic errors. This is highly problematic because decision makers should only countenance geoengineering schemes like global afforestation if impacts are understood on the regional scale. We posit the necessity of using high-resolution regional models with sophisticated representations of land–atmosphere feedback and vegetation. This approach allows for studying desert plantations and the process chain leading to climate modification. We demonstrate that large-scale plantations enhance regional clouds and rainfall and derive an index for predicting plantation impacts. Thus, desert plantations represent a unique environmental solution via predictable regional weather modification and carbon storage.

scholarly journals Challenges and Opportunities of a Forthcoming Strategic Assessment of the Implications of International Climate Change Mitigation Commitments for Individual Undertakings in Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3747
Author(s):  
Robert Gibson ◽  
Karine Péloffy ◽  
Meinhard Doelle
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Policy Interpretation ◽  
Strategic Assessment ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
International Climate ◽  
Change Mitigation

Canada is preparing to initiate a challenging, but potentially ground-breaking, strategic assessment on the implications of its climate change mitigation commitments for project assessments. The strategic assessment is immediately needed to provide project-level guidance for decision makers who will be required under new federal legislation to consider the extent to which each assessed project “contributes to sustainability” and “hinders or contributes to” meeting Canada’s climate commitments. However, Canada, like many other countries, has not yet translated its Paris Agreement climate commitments into an adequate suite of specific policies, pathways, budgets, and other directives for compliance. Consequently, the climate commitments’ strategic assessment will need to play a fully strategic role—in policy development as well as policy interpretation and elaboration for assessment purposes. This paper outlines the key considerations and required steps for a strategic assessment that fills the policy gap between Paris and projects, and develops guidance centred on a suite of tests for evaluating proposed major projects that may have important effects on Canada’s prospects for meeting its climate commitments.

scholarly journals Soil Carbon Modelling in Salix Biomass Plantations: Variety Determines Carbon Sequestration and Climate Impacts

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1529
Author(s):  
Saurav Kalita ◽  
Hanna Karlsson Potter ◽  
Martin Weih ◽  
Christel Baum ◽  
Åke Nordberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Carbon Modelling ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Change Mitigation

Short-rotation coppice (SRC) Salix plantations have the potential to provide fast-growing biomass feedstock with significant soil and climate mitigation benefits. Salix varieties exhibit significant variation in their physiological traits, growth patterns and soil ecology—but the effects of these variations have rarely been studied from a systems perspective. This study analyses the influence of variety on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics and climate impacts from Salix cultivation for heat production for a Swedish site with specific conditions. Soil carbon modelling was combined with a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to quantify SOC sequestration and climate impacts over a 50-year period. The analysis used data from a Swedish field trial of six Salix varieties grown under fertilized and unfertilized treatments on Vertic Cambisols during 2001–2018. The Salix systems were compared with a reference case where heat is produced from natural gas and green fallow was the land use alternative. Climate impacts were determined using time-dependent LCA methodology—on a land-use (per hectare) and delivered energy unit (per MJheat) basis. All Salix varieties and treatments increased SOC, but the magnitude depended on the variety. Fertilization led to lower carbon sequestration than the equivalent unfertilized case. There was no clear relationship between biomass yield and SOC increase. In comparison with reference cases, all Salix varieties had significant potential for climate change mitigation. From a land-use perspective, high yield was the most important determining factor, followed by SOC sequestration, therefore high-yielding fertilized varieties such as ‘Tordis’, ‘Tora’ and ‘Björn’ performed best. On an energy-delivered basis, SOC sequestration potential was the determining factor for the climate change mitigation effect, with unfertilized ‘Jorr’ and ‘Loden’ outperforming the other varieties. These results show that Salix variety has a strong influence on SOC sequestration potential, biomass yield, growth pattern, response to fertilization and, ultimately, climate impact.

scholarly journals Charged Particle (Negative Ion)-Based Cloud Seeding and Rain Enhancement Trial Design and Implementation

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1644
Author(s):  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Fengming Xue ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Qiqi Wu ◽  
Zhou Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Negative Ion ◽  
Cloud Seeding ◽  
Weather Modification ◽  
Solid Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Hygroscopic Salts

China has been suffering from water shortage for a long time. Weather modification and rainfall enhancement via cloud seeding has been proved to be effective to alleviate the problem. Current cloud seeding methods mostly rely on solid carbon dioxide and chemicals such as silver iodide and hygroscopic salts, which may have negative impacts on the environment and are expensive to operate. Lab experiments have proved the efficiency of ion-based cloud seeding compared with traditional methods. Moreover, it is also more environmentally friendly and more economical to operate at a large scale. Thus, it is necessary to carry out a field experiment to further investigate the characteristics and feasibility of the method. This paper provides the design and implementation of the ion-based cloud seeding and rain enhancement trial currently running in Northwest China. It introduces the basic principle of the trial and the devices developed for it, as well as the installation of the bases and the evaluation method design for the trial.

scholarly journals Fifty-Seven-Year California Reanalysis Downscaling at 10 km (CaRD10). Part I: System Detail and Validation with Observations

2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (22) ◽  
pp. 5553-5571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masao Kanamitsu ◽  
Hideki Kanamaru
Keyword(s):  
Time Scales ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Lateral Boundary ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Precipitation Analysis

Abstract For the purpose of producing datasets for regional-scale climate change research and application, the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis for the period 1948–2005 was dynamically downscaled to hourly, 10-km resolution over California using the Regional Spectral Model. This is Part I of a two-part paper, describing the details of the downscaling system and comparing the downscaled analysis [California Reanalysis Downscaling at 10 km (CaRD10)] against observation and global analysis. An extensive validation of the downscaled analysis was performed using station observations, Higgins gridded precipitation analysis, and Precipitation-Elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation analysis. In general, the CaRD10 near-surface wind and temperature fit better to regional-scale station observations than the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis used to force the regional model, supporting the premise that the regional downscaling is a viable method to attain regional detail from large-scale analysis. This advantage of CaRD10 was found on all time scales, ranging from hourly to decadal scales (i.e., from diurnal variation to multidecadal trend). Dynamically downscaled analysis provides ways to study various regional climate phenomena of different time scales because all produced variables are dynamically, physically, and hydrologically consistent. However, the CaRD10 is not free from problems. It suffers from positive bias in precipitation for heavy precipitation events. The CaRD10 is inaccurate near the lateral boundary where regional detail is damped by the lateral boundary relaxation. It is important to understand these limitations before the downscaled analysis is used for research.

scholarly journals The Climate Benefit of Carbon Sequestration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Sierra ◽  
Susan E. Crow ◽  
Martin Heimann ◽  
Holger Metzler ◽  
Ernst-Detleft Schulze
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
Global Warming Potentials ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Carbon Retention ◽  
Change Mitigation

Abstract. Ecosystems play a fundamental role in climate change mitigation by taking up carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for a period of time in organic matter. Although climate impacts of carbon emissions can be quantified by global warming potentials, it is not necessarily clear what are appropriate formal metrics to assess climate benefits of carbon removals by sinks. We introduce here the Climate Benefit of Sequestration (CBS), a metric that quantifies the radiative effect of taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and retaining it for a period of time in an ecosystem before releasing it back to the atmosphere. To quantify CBS, we also propose a formal definition of carbon sequestration (CS) as the integral of an amount of carbon taken up from the atmosphere stored over the time horizon it remains in an ecosystem. Both metrics incorporate the separate effects of i) inputs (amount of atmospheric carbon removal), and ii) transit time (time of carbon retention) in carbon sinks, which can vary largely for different ecosystems or management types. In three separate examples, we show how to compute and apply these metrics to compare different carbon management practices in forestry and soils. We believe these metrics can be useful in resolving current controversies about the management of ecosystems for climate change mitigation.

scholarly journals The Manokwari Declaration: Challenges ahead in conserving 70% of Tanah Papua’s forests

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Cámara-Leret ◽  
Andre Schuiteman ◽  
Timothy Utteridge ◽  
Gemma Bramley ◽  
Richard Deverell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Global Impact ◽  
Se Asia ◽  
Impact On Biodiversity ◽  
Change Mitigation

The Manokwari Declaration is an unprecedented pledge by the governors of Indonesia’s two New Guinea provinces to promote conservation and become SE Asia’s new Costa Rica. This is an exciting, yet challenging endeavour that will require working on many fronts that transcend single disciplines. Because Indonesian New Guinea has the largest expanse of intact forests in SE Asia, large-scale conservation pledges like the Manokwari Declaration will have a global impact on biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation.

scholarly journals Linking Service Provision to Material Cycles – A New Framework for Studying the Resource Efficiency-Climate Change Nexus (RECC)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Pauliuk ◽  
Tomer Fishman ◽  
Niko Heeren ◽  
Peter Berrill ◽  
Qingshi Tu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Resource Efficiency ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Material Cycle ◽  
Material Efficiency ◽  
Material Cycles ◽  
Change Mitigation

Material production accounts for 23% of all greenhouse gas emissions. More efficient use of materials – through decoupling of services that support human wellbeing from material use – is imperative as other emissions mitigation options are expensive. An interdisciplinary scientific assessment of material efficiency and its links to service provision, material cycle management, and climate policy is needed to identify effective strategies and help design the policy framework required for their implementation. We present RECC, the Resource Efficiency-Climate Change mitigation framework, a first step towards such a comprehensive assessment. RECC is based on dynamic material flow analysis and links the services provided (individual motorized transport and dwelling) to the operation of in-use stocks (passenger vehicles and residential buildings), to the expansion and maintenance of these stocks to their material cycles (major materials like steel and cement), and to energy use and climate impacts. A key innovation of RECC is the up-scaling of detailed descriptions of future product archetypes with different degrees of material and energy efficiency, which are simulated with engineering tools.We utilize RECC with augmented storylines of the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) to describe future service demand and associated material requirements. Ten material efficiency strategies at different stages of the material cycle can be assessed by ramping up their implementation rates to the identified technical potentials. RECC provides scenario results for the life cycle impacts of ambitious service-material decoupling concurrent with energy system decarbonization, giving detailed insights on the resource efficiency-climate change mitigation nexus to policy makers worldwide.

scholarly journals Restoration of degraded grasslands, but not invasion by Prosopis juliflora, avoids trade-offs between climate change mitigation and other ecosystem services

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Purity Rima Mbaabu ◽  
Daniel Olago ◽  
Maina Gichaba ◽  
Sandra Eckert ◽  
René Eschen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Prosopis Juliflora ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Change Mitigation ◽  
Semi Arid

AbstractGrassland degradation and the concomitant loss of soil organic carbon is widespread in tropical arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Afforestation of degraded grassland, sometimes by using invasive alien trees, has been put forward as a legitimate climate change mitigation strategy. However, even in cases where tree encroachment of degraded grasslands leads to increased soil organic carbon, it may come at a high cost since the restoration of grassland-characteristic biodiversity and ecosystem services will be blocked. We assessed how invasion by Prosopis juliflora and restoration of degraded grasslands in a semi-arid region in Baringo, Kenya affected soil organic carbon, biodiversity and fodder availability. Thirty years of grassland restoration replenished soil organic carbon to 1 m depth at a rate of 1.4% per year and restored herbaceous biomass to levels of pristine grasslands, while plant biodiversity remained low. Invasion of degraded grasslands by P. juliflora increased soil organic carbon primarily in the upper 30 cm and suppressed herbaceous vegetation. We argue that, in contrast to encroachment by invasive alien trees, restoration of grasslands in tropical semi-arid regions can both serve as a measure for climate change mitigation and help restore key ecosystem services important for pastoralists and agro-pastoralist communities.

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