Why using the oceans to suck up CO2 might not be as easy as hoped
The world’s oceans are amazing carbon sponges, capturing a quarter of human-produced carbon dioxide when surface waters react with the greenhouse gas in the air or marine organisms gobble it up as they grow.
Some research groups and start-ups want to help accelerate this natural process by adding certain minerals to the oceans that could help them lock up even more carbon and slow climate change. The idea has attracted a lot of excitement and investment.
However, a number of recent studies suggest that some of these approaches may not be as effective as scientists had hoped.
That’s disappointing news, because the world may need to suck up an additional 10 billion tons of carbon annually by midcentury to limit warming to 2 ˚C, according to a recent report. Read the full story.
—James Temple
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