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https://theconversation.com/a-deep-ocean-climate-plan-wins-rare-epa-approval-but-is-sinking-plants-in-the-sea-the-answer-282361>
"Innovators who are working on ways to pull carbon dioxide out of the
atmosphere to fight climate change are having a tough time lately.
Their biggest supporter, Microsoft, recently began telling partners that it is
pausing its carbon removal purchases. To get a sense of how big of a deal this
is, look at the numbers: The tech company alone has purchased approximately 80%
of the contracted cumulative volume of carbon removals to date. Its
retrenchment is viewed as potentially a major blow to the sector.
However, there may be a bright spot for this industry, and it comes from an
unexpected source: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency quietly decided in
March to grant a research permit under the
Marine Protection, Research, and
Sanctuaries Act to a Houston-based carbon removal startup.
The company, Carboniferous, aims to assess the potential to durably lock up
greenhouse gases by harvesting plants that took in carbon dioxide on land and
sinking them to the bottom of the ocean.
This approach is often called “ocean biomass sinking,” or marine anoxic carbon
storage.
Ocean biomass sinking is one of several carbon removal approaches involving the
ocean known as “marine carbon dioxide removal.” Other marine approaches include
adding alkaline materials that react with seawater to increase the uptake of
carbon dioxide, seeding oceans with iron to stimulate the growth of
phytoplankton that can take up carbon dioxide, and farming seaweed to also take
up carbon dioxide and sink it.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which compiles research on
climate change from scientists around the world, calls carbon dioxide removal
“unavoidable” if the world hopes to keep rising temperatures in check and
achieving the targets of the Paris climate agreement.
But is sinking biomass in the ocean the answer?
I am the co-founding director of the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal
at American University, and I have reviewed several of these projects. I see
both pros and cons to ocean carbon removal techniques."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
