Cooling the planet using Marine Cloud Brightening

We need to become resilient to climate change through adaptation; it is no longer tenable to only focus on slashing emissions. Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB) is an ambitious method for increasing resilience. Spearheaded by Cambridge researches at the Centre for Climate Repair (CCR), this approach hinges on the generation of condensation nuclei from sea water that is artificially sprayed into the atmosphere. These nuclei help to form a large number of small droplets that ‘whiten’ cloud cover, reflecting more solar radiation and producing a cooling effect.

The CCR is at the forefront of MCB progress. Professor Shaun Fitzgerald and Professor Hugh Hunt are leading on a project funded by Refreeze the Arctic Foundation, while supporting the REFLECT project led by the University of Manchester in collaboration with the National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS). They also are supporting the project led by Southern Cross University examining the potential of MCB over the Great Barrier Reef.

The team at the CCR are building bespoke sea water sprayers based on the modelling results and conducting indoor tests. They will also begin collaborative engagement with local communities to co-design potential future outdoor experiments, which will help to foster the social favourability needed to scale this approach.