Adding antacids to the ocean to slow down global warming. Will it succeed?

Introduction

The experiment in New York is part of a commercial race to develop ocean-based technology to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Experiment in New York

Bonnie Chang is examining a tube of sediment collected from shallow waters off the North Sea coast – two hours from New York City. She is looking for green mineral crystals that her team added to the sand last year. If everything goes as planned, these crystals will enable the ocean to absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere – a climate solution that can be scaled globally.

Impact of Adding Alkalinity to the Ocean

This technology aims to convert excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into harmless solid materials that precipitate in the ocean. This is achieved by adding minerals such as olivine to coastal sands. When this mineral reacts with carbon dioxide in the water, it is transformed into harmless carbonate minerals. These minerals settle on the ocean floor and contribute to the permanent storage of carbon dioxide.

Benefits of Adding Alkalinity to the Ocean

Adding alkalinity to the ocean can have numerous benefits in combating global warming. For example, it can help reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and thus slow down the warming process. It can also improve water quality in the oceans and protect marine organisms from the negative impacts of climate change.

Challenges of Adding Alkalinity to the Ocean

However, there are challenges associated with the process of adding alkalinity to the ocean. For instance, it may impact the ecological balance of the oceans and affect marine organisms and marine ecosystems. It may also require large quantities of minerals to achieve a significant impact on carbon dioxide absorption. Consequently, it may be difficult to implement this technology on a large scale and expand it globally.

Conclusion

Adding alkalinity to the ocean is a promising technology to address climate change and global warming. The experiment in New York is part of a commercial race to develop ocean-based technology to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, there are still many challenges to overcome before this technology can be widely implemented and achieve a significant impact in slowing down the global warming process.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02032-7