The Alameda City Council voted Wednesday to block an experimental geoengineering project aimed at mitigating the impacts of global warming.
As City News reported last week, scientists from the University of Washington were testing “marine cloud brightening” technology from a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet. The technique involves spraying saltwater into clouds to create a cooling effect by reflecting more sunlight back into the atmosphere. The project was halted after city leaders learned of it. Alameda Mayor Marilyn Ashcraft said she was caught off guard by the experiment.
The council’s vote followed a marathon meeting that lasted until 1 a.m. Leaders made clear they not only felt uneasy about the science and potential risks, but were also troubled by the researchers’ lack of transparency.
“The Alameda City Council made a wise decision to not give into the geoengineering hype and stop the first open-air Marine Cloud Brightening project in the United States,” Ben Day, an environmental advocate with Friends of the Earth, told KRON. “We will not be able to ‘engineer’ our way out of this climate crisis, and once we move on from false solutions like geoengineering, the more efficiently we can reduce emissions and act as the stewards our planet needs.”
In a statement, the researchers said they were disappointed by the council’s decision.
"The sea-salt studies involved spraying very small quantities of sea-salt mist. The City of Alameda engaged a team of experts to independently evaluate the health and environmental safety of the [Coastal Aerosol Research and Engagement] Program’s sea-salt studies, which found that they are not expected to result in any adverse health or environmental effects," the the statement read. “We provided extensive data to their process and all of the experts engaged affirmed the safety of the sea-salt spray involved in the studies. These supported our own evaluation that this is a safe, publicly accessible way to further research on aerosols in the atmosphere, to support environmental goals and to promote education and equity in science."