Title: Geoengineering Research Evaluation Act of 2017
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Geoengineering Research Evaluation Act of 2017
This bill requires the Department of Energy to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study and develop: (1) a Phase I report recommending a research agenda for advancing understanding of albedo modification strategies that involve atmospheric interventions, such as cloud modification; and (2) a Phase II report that provides specific guidance on governance mechanisms for the proposed research agenda developed in Phase I. Generally, albedo modifications are geoengineering strategies that are designed to manipulate the climate and reduce the amount of radiation that is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere by reflecting light.
After the completion of the Phase II report, the Office of Science and Technology Policy must report to Congress on an implementation plan for geoengineering research and research governance.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4586 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Geoengineering Research Evaluation 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Many significant scientific studies have concluded that 
        the climate is changing. The Fifth Assessment 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 temperature 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 elevated greenhouse gas levels.
            (4) However, the United States and other nations 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 ethical questions for 
        climate intervention, addressing carbon dioxide removal and 
        sequestration and albedo modification. These reports found that 
        currently there is insufficient information to effectively 
        evaluate, let alone deploy, strategies for large-scale climate 
        interventions.
            (6) Many carbon dioxide removal options are relatively low 
        risk and effective, but they are currently 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 investing 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 interaction with the 
        climate system, and improved detection 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 governance of specified types of research 
        according to the magnitude and nature of a project's expected 
        impact on radiative forcing and climate. Such a 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 
        implemented without thorough consideration of the outcomes of 
        smaller-scale, low-risk projects.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL ACADEMIES REPORTS.

    (a) Phase I Report; Research Strategy for Albedo Modification.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 3 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation 
        with the Administrator of the National Oceanographic and 
        Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the 
        National Science Foundation, the Director of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology, and other Federal 
        agencies as appropriate, 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 atmospheric interventions, 
        including marine cloud brightening, 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 studies, 
                model development and experiments, computing 
                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'' impact; and
                    (C) identify, where relevant, how the recommended 
                research efforts would provide benefits 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 subsection (a), the Secretary 
        of Energy, in consultation with appropriate Federal agencies, 
        shall contract with the National Academies to conduct a study 
        and develop a report that provides specific guidance on 
        governance mechanisms for the proposed albedo modification 
        research agenda developed in Phase I. The proposed research 
        governance approaches should seek to maximize the benefits of 
        research while minimizing risks.
            (2) Report content.--The report described in paragraph (1) 
        shall, at a minimum--
                    (A) take into account legal, ethical, social, 
                political, economic, and other potentially important 
                ramifications of albedo modification research;
                    (B) examine what types of research governance, 
                beyond those that already exist, may be needed for 
                albedo modification research; and
                    (C) identify the types of research that would 
                require such governance, potentially based on the 
                magnitude of their expected impact on radiative 
                forcing, their potential for detrimental direct and 
                indirect effects, and other considerations.
            (3) Timeline.--The Secretary of Energy shall encourage the 
        National Academies, to the extent practicable, to complete the 
        Phase II report no later than 9 months after the date of the 
        execution of the contract described in paragraph (1).
            (4) Additional considerations.--
                    (A) Limitation.--The report described in this 
                subsection shall not address governance for deployment 
                of albedo modification.
                    (B) Input.--The Secretary of Energy shall ensure 
                that the process for the development of the report 
                described in this subsection includes input from civil 
                society organizations and other relevant stakeholders.

SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

    Not later than 90 days after completion of the Phase II report 
described in section 3(b), the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, in coordination with all relevant Federal agencies, 
shall submit to Congress an implementation plan for geoengineering 
research and research governance. In preparing such implementation 
plan, the Director shall take into consideration the recommendations 
included in the Phase II report and in the Phase I report described in 
section 3(a).

SEC. 5. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``National Academies'' means the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
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