The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $14 million in funding for 22 research projects aimed at improving climate change predictions.
Chosen by competitive peer review from proposals submitted to a funding opportunity under the Atmospheric System Research program sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (BER) within the Department’s Office of Science, the $14 million in the Fiscal Year 2022 will last three years and can be found at the BER website.
The projects, which are expected to advance fundamental scientific understanding of atmospheric processes, ranging from cloud formation to Arctic weather, as well as expanding the scientific understanding of extreme weather and climate patterns, are key to tackling the climate crisis and meeting President Biden’s climate goals like slashing greenhouse-gas emissions.
In his reaction, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said climate-fuelled weather events from drought to fires, to hurricanes, and polar vortices are becoming more common and more intense and wreaking havoc on our communities.
Read also: Research: Unchecked emissions could double heat-related child mortality
“We must expand our understanding of changing weather patterns and equip scientists, researchers, and lawmakers with every possible tool to tackle the climate crisis,” she said.
She maintained that President Joe Biden and DOE were committed to protecting American communities from extreme weather events and fighting climate change through critical investments in science and research that illuminate pathways to decarbonization and broaden our scientific foundation.
The 22 projects which received DOE awards are spread across a total of 11 states, the District of Columbia and Canada and will be conducted by faculty at 18 universities and two research organizations.
The projects will, among other things, focus on how clouds interact with aerosols, tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere such as volcanic ash and sea salt; how aerosols interact with thunderstorms, and how clouds and aerosols impact the amount of solar energy that reaches the Arctic and Antarctic surfaces.
Data and analysis from these projects are expected to help improve prediction and understanding of the atmosphere, which is essential to addressing President Biden’s goal of achieving a 50-52% reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030.
Recall that the Biden administration announced nearly $5 billion in funding to help communities prepare for extreme weather and climate-related disasters in 2021.
Story was adapted from ENERGY.GOV
