How Aerosols Brighten Clouds — and Cool the Planet | Sarah J. Doherty | TED
In the TED Talk “How Aerosols Brighten Clouds — and Cool the Planet,” climate scientist Sarah J. Doherty sheds light on the unintended consequences of human activities on climate change. While we often focus on the harmful impact of greenhouse gases, Doherty highlights the role of aerosols in cooling the planet. These small particles, emitted into the atmosphere alongside pollution, actually reflect sunlight away from Earth, reducing the amount of heat that reaches the surface.
However, as efforts to reduce air pollution increase, so does the risk of accelerating climate warming. Cleaning up the air leads to a decrease in aerosols in the atmosphere, removing the source of climate cooling. Doherty explains how understanding the complex interactions between aerosols and clouds can help develop strategies to potentially mitigate climate warming. By studying how pollution aerosols brighten clouds, researchers are exploring the possibility of using natural aerosols, like sea salt, to enhance cloud reflectivity and offset the warming effects of greenhouse gases.
Doherty’s team is at the forefront of this research, developing a new instrument to generate sea salt aerosols for controlled aerosol studies. By creating a single clean ship track, they aim to better understand how aerosols affect cloud reflectivity and climate. Through openness, collaboration, and engagement with marginalized communities, Doherty hopes to inform informed and equitable discussions about climate solutions. Marine cloud brightening is not a cure-all for climate change, but it may offer a way to address the symptom of excess heat in the atmosphere. By expanding our knowledge of aerosols and their impact on the climate system, we can make more informed decisions about our future in a rapidly warming world.
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Video “How Aerosols Brighten Clouds — and Cool the Planet | Sarah J. Doherty | TED” was uploaded on 05/13/2024 to Youtube Channel TED