Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
A Letter from 200+ World Scientists on Advancing Responsible (R&D) of Ocean-Based (CO₂) Removal
A Letter from 200+ World Scientists on Advancing Responsible Research and Development of Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide RemovalSociety must advance responsible research, development, and field testing of ocean-based carbon dioxide removal techniques to determine their potential to help restore the climate and the ocean.
Current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide caused primarily by the production and use of fossil fuels are substantially higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. These current levels have warmed the planet by about 1.1 degrees Celsius on average, with much higher increases in the polar regions. The planet is now seeing devastating effects across Earth systems—perhaps most significantly in our ocean—highlighting the urgency for increased action on climate change.
The ocean has buffered humanity and the biosphere to date from the worst effects of climate disruption by absorbing more than 90 percent of the excess heat trapped on the planet by greenhouse gases and about 26 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution that otherwise would be in the air. But this has come at a great cost. The ocean is experiencing unprecedented destabilizing changes through massive warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and a host of resulting effects. These changes are further undermining the overall stability of our global climate, which is inextricably linked to ocean processes and functions.
Stopping warming requires that we reduce current and future emissions of greenhouse gases at unprecedented rates. This “decarbonization” of our society is an enormous, multi-faceted undertaking that must continue to be of the highest priority and requires significantly increased resources and attention.
At the same time that this essential work of emissions reductions continues, we must also pursue additional solutions that can safely reduce the impacts and outcomes of climate change, including “carbon dioxide removal,” or cleaning up the legacy carbon dioxide pollution trapped in the atmosphere.
…
Current levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide caused primarily by the production and use of fossil fuels are substantially higher than at any point in the last 800,000 years. These current levels have warmed the planet by about 1.1 degrees Celsius on average, with much higher increases in the polar regions. The planet is now seeing devastating effects across Earth systems—perhaps most significantly in our ocean—highlighting the urgency for increased action on climate change.
The ocean has buffered humanity and the biosphere to date from the worst effects of climate disruption by absorbing more than 90 percent of the excess heat trapped on the planet by greenhouse gases and about 26 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution that otherwise would be in the air. But this has come at a great cost. The ocean is experiencing unprecedented destabilizing changes through massive warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and a host of resulting effects. These changes are further undermining the overall stability of our global climate, which is inextricably linked to ocean processes and functions.
Stopping warming requires that we reduce current and future emissions of greenhouse gases at unprecedented rates. This “decarbonization” of our society is an enormous, multi-faceted undertaking that must continue to be of the highest priority and requires significantly increased resources and attention.
At the same time that this essential work of emissions reductions continues, we must also pursue additional solutions that can safely reduce the impacts and outcomes of climate change, including “carbon dioxide removal,” or cleaning up the legacy carbon dioxide pollution trapped in the atmosphere.
…
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
We discussed ocean acidification and heat absorption in a graduate aquatic systems course I took 25 years ago. Nothing much has been done and now we are making the ocean uninhabitable for so many organisms. Destroying the oceans should be terrifying for humanity. 
