The process is as easy as it sounds. Researchers say that because farming has a global infrastructure already, so it should be easy to use it to benefit the climate. Ultimately farmers need to pick crop varieties that are naturally reflective. Once solar energy hits these plants’ leaves they are sent back into space. The more reflective leaves, the more solar energy that is sent back into space.
The researchers have run successful tests and are trying again to assure the research is accurate.
“But another possibility for the future would be to produce a [leaf] surface that differs in reflectivity at different wavelengths, so it could selectively absorb wavelengths involved in photosynthesis,” Dr. Andy Ridgewell told BBC News.
The only problem with the research is that growing different crops will only work in North America and Europe because in other places the reflection is done by clouds, so the ground’s albedo would have very little impact.
This change is not the perfect answer to the world heatwave, but it will help in smaller areas. For example Europe is expected to have many heatwaves this summer, planting reflective crops will change the climate in that specific area, people in South America will not see a change from this.
Another problem is getting farmers involved. A solution may be to give them carbon credits for making a conscious effort to improve the climate.
“You certainly wouldn’t have to replace food crops, so food production shouldn’t be affected by our idea,” Ridgewell said.
Since the industrial age temperatures rose 0.7C. By the end of the century, at the rate the world is going, The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts the average global temperature will have risen by 1.8-4.0C compared to 1990s levels.