Ocean dumping – or a climate solution? A growing industry bets on the ocean to capture carbon

https://apnews.com/article/climate-geoengineering-global-warming-greenhouse-gases-oceans-184653b35ad8c63db2c6e7b533037c19

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.

19 points · 8 comments · view on lemmy.world

8 Comments

MyOpinion@lemm.ee · 12 pts · 1y (1 reply)

You know what would really help burning less fossil fuels.

huppakee@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 1y

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.

hooferboof@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 1y

Wouldnt that acidify the ocean?

moodymellodrone@sopuli.xyz · 7 pts · 1y

Kinda scary. We don't know what the unforeseen consequences are.

Zahille7@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (3 replies)

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.

Chocrates@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (2 replies)

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.

Zahille7@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Right, because the ocean is huge and diverse. Iron may help algae bloom, but it could be actual poison for other aquatic life.

Chocrates@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1y

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