Climate change mitigation is perhaps the biggest research challenge we face today. And, as with all challenges, there are a variety of approaches that can be taken; one of these considers increasing the reflectivity of surfaces so that more of the Sun’s energy is reflected back into space. But it’s not just buildings and roads that can reflect energy – computer modelling suggests that increasing the reflectivity of crops by only 4% can lead to a temperature decrease of 1°C in the crop fields during the summer. So what affects the reflective properties of crops such as barley and wheat which are common in agriculture? Frances is currently investigating natural variations in the plants – from how hairy or waxy the leaves are, to any differences in the cell structure. Once these factors have been established, it’s the first step to ensuring crops to maximise their reflectivity and play their part in the fight against climate change.
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Research Encounter #2: Frances Cartwright
This next Encounter is with Frances Cartwright who is a 2nd year PhD student in the School of Biological Sciences. Frances is no stranger to public engagement, having been a volunteer at the Festival of Nature and for our Seeds of Change project – however she doesn’t normally get the chance to talk about her own research so here it is.
Climate change mitigation is perhaps the biggest research challenge we face today. And, as with all challenges, there are a variety of approaches that can be taken; one of these considers increasing the reflectivity of surfaces so that more of the Sun’s energy is reflected back into space. But it’s not just buildings and roads that can reflect energy – computer modelling suggests that increasing the reflectivity of crops by only 4% can lead to a temperature decrease of 1°C in the crop fields during the summer. So what affects the reflective properties of crops such as barley and wheat which are common in agriculture? Frances is currently investigating natural variations in the plants – from how hairy or waxy the leaves are, to any differences in the cell structure. Once these factors have been established, it’s the first step to ensuring crops to maximise their reflectivity and play their part in the fight against climate change.
Climate change mitigation is perhaps the biggest research challenge we face today. And, as with all challenges, there are a variety of approaches that can be taken; one of these considers increasing the reflectivity of surfaces so that more of the Sun’s energy is reflected back into space. But it’s not just buildings and roads that can reflect energy – computer modelling suggests that increasing the reflectivity of crops by only 4% can lead to a temperature decrease of 1°C in the crop fields during the summer. So what affects the reflective properties of crops such as barley and wheat which are common in agriculture? Frances is currently investigating natural variations in the plants – from how hairy or waxy the leaves are, to any differences in the cell structure. Once these factors have been established, it’s the first step to ensuring crops to maximise their reflectivity and play their part in the fight against climate change.
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