Ocean dumping – or a climate solution? A growing industry bets on the ocean to capture carbon
From the grounds of a gas-fired power plant on the eastern shores of Canada, a little-known company is pumping a slurry of minerals into the ocean in the name of stopping climate change.
Whether it’s pollution or a silver bullet that will save the planet may depend on whom you ask.
From shore, a pipe releases a mixture of water and magnesium oxide — a powdery white mineral used in everything from construction to heartburn pills that Planetary Technologies, based in Nova Scotia, is betting will absorb more planet-warming gases into the sea.
“Restore the climate. Heal the ocean,” reads the motto stamped on a shipping container nearby.
https://apnews.com/article/climate-geoengineering-global-warming-greenhouse-gases-oceans-184653b35ad8c63db2c6e7b533037c19Open linkView original on sh.itjust.works
You know what would really help burning less fossil fuels.
I know you're being ironic because that is for sure the real solution, but we're in a too dire a situation to just focus on fossil fuels.
Wouldnt that acidify the ocean?
Kinda scary. We don't know what the unforeseen consequences are.
I feel like this is the exact opposite of what anyone should do, but then I'm not an environmentalist or anything like that. I'm just some guy.
There have been tests of dumping iron as well, I forget exactly why, I think it helps algae bloom.
The problem is we can't test this safely and if it has negative effects we may not see it for decades.
Right, because the ocean is huge and diverse. Iron may help algae bloom, but it could be actual poison for other aquatic life.
The wiki page is actually pretty promising. Doesn't look like it is the magic bullet but looks actually decently tested.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_fertilization