I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4586 
To provide for the National Academies to study and report on a research 
agenda to advance the understanding of albedo modification strategies, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 7, 2017 
Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself and Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To provide for the National Academies to study and report 
on a research agenda to advance the understanding of 
albedo modification strategies, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Geoengineering Re-
search Evaluation Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Many significant scientific studies have con-
cluded that the climate is changing. The Fifth As-
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sessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on 
Climate Change found that even under the most 
stringent carbon constrained scenario, mean global 
surface temperature will still increase. 
(2) If unmitigated, continued rises in tempera-
ture will have severe impacts on human health, the 
global economy, and United States national security, 
damaging both earth and human systems. 
(3) Cutting carbon pollution is still the best 
way to mitigate climate change because it prevents 
further global temperature rise, whereas climate 
intervention is a higher risk reaction to already ele-
vated greenhouse gas levels. 
(4) However, the United States and other na-
tions may also need to consider climate intervention 
strategies, beginning with carbon dioxide removal 
and sequestration, including biological sequestration, 
and potentially extending to albedo modification. 
(5) In 2015, the National Academies published 
two reports that outline the research needs and eth-
ical questions for climate intervention, addressing 
carbon dioxide removal and sequestration and albedo 
modification. These reports found that currently 
there is insufficient information to effectively evalu-
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ate, let alone deploy, strategies for large-scale cli-
mate interventions. 
(6) Many carbon dioxide removal options are 
relatively low risk and effective, but they are cur-
rently limited by cost and lack of technical maturity, 
and some may have significant local environmental 
impacts. Albedo modification shows evidence of 
being temporarily effective at cooling the planet, but 
at a currently unknown cost to and impact on the 
environment. 
(7) The Academies’ reports recommended in-
vesting in the research and development of methods 
of carbon dioxide removal and disposal at scales that 
would impact the climate. They also recommended 
the development and implementation of a dedicated 
albedo modification research program that furthers 
basic climate science, understanding of human inter-
action with the climate system, and improved detec-
tion of changes in radiative forcing. 
(8) The Academies further recommended the 
development of a clear framework for governance of 
albedo modification research that would adjust gov-
ernance of specified types of research according to 
the magnitude and nature of a project’s expected 
impact on radiative forcing and climate. Such a 
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structure should ensure transparency in the research 
process, extend governance requirements beyond 
those of general research, and engage civil society 
and other nontraditional stakeholders in decision-
making. Large, high-risk projects should not be im-
plemented without thorough consideration of the 
outcomes of smaller-scale, low-risk projects. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMIES REPORTS. 
(a) PHASE I REPORT; RESEARCH STRATEGY FOR AL-
BEDO MODIFICATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 3 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Energy, in consultation with the Adminis-
trator of the National Oceanographic and Atmos-
pheric Administration, the Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
Director of the National Science Foundation, the Di-
rector of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, and other Federal agencies as appro-
priate, shall contract with the National Academies to 
conduct a study and develop a report recommending 
a research agenda for advancing understanding of 
albedo modification strategies that involve atmos-
pheric interventions, including marine cloud bright-
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ening, stratospheric aerosol albedo modification, and 
cirrus cloud modification. 
(2) REPORT CONTENT.—The report described 
in paragraph (1) shall, at a minimum— 
(A) identify priorities for laboratory stud-
ies, model development and experiments, com-
puting capabilities, process-based studies, small- 
scale field experiments, engineering studies, and 
long-term, large-scale observations, including 
space-based observations; 
(B) provide guidance on how to define field 
experimentation that has a ‘‘de minimis’’ im-
pact; and 
(C) identify, where relevant, how the rec-
ommended research efforts would provide bene-
fits in advancing other areas of science. 
(3) TIMELINE.—The Secretary of Energy shall 
encourage the National Academies, to the extent 
practicable, to complete the Phase I report no later 
than 9 months after the date of the execution of the 
contract described in paragraph (1). 
(b) PHASE II REPORT; FRAMEWORK FOR RESEARCH 
GOVERNANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—No more than 30 days after 
completion of the Phase I report described in sub-
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