CLIMATE CHANGE
Can We Engineer the Oceans to Help Battle Climate Change?
As the planet continues to warm, scientists are developing new tech to enhance the oceans' natural capacities for carbon sequestration.
Climate change has already started showing its ugly face. Extreme weather events are becoming more common; we are experiencing droughts in places where precipitation used to be abundant; and previously semi-desertic landscapes are flooding, destroying economies, and even taking human lives. Under this scenario, we may reach a point where simply stopping carbon dioxide emissions isn’t enough. We may need to start sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. But if so, how?
One obvious (and weirdly less discussed) option lies beyond our shores — all our shores: the ocean.
Those reading my articles may remember that I’m an ecologist and a paleontologist. As such, I like looking into the past to understand the present and find answers about the future. Throughout Earth’s history, several periods have been marked by significant volcanic activity that contributed to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. These events triggered severe environmental and climatic changes. And every time, oceans have played a crucial role in…
