MELBOURNE, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Scientists urge that the focus of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) be shifted from a science fiction-flavored geoengineering intervention to a practical, flexible tool for local CO2 management.
Scientists initially saw increasing the ocean's natural alkalinity as a potential geoengineering solution capable of removing gigatonnes of CO2 annually, but the reality is far more complex, according to a statement released Wednesday by Australia's University of Tasmania (UTAS).
OAE increases seawater's natural alkalinity, reducing acidity and converting CO2 into mainly inert bicarbonate ions that can remain stored in the ocean for millennia, according to the study published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.
"Integrating small-scale OAE into diverse local contexts could deliver the achievable carbon mitigation goals defined by individual governments and communities," said lead author UTAS Associate Professor Lennart Bach, a biogeochemical oceanographer.
For example, wastewater emissions could potentially be mitigated through alkalinity from silicates, while excess electricity from a regional wind farm could be used to increase seawater alkalinity electrochemically, Bach said.
The researchers said small-scale projects should be environmentally responsible, demonstrably carbon negative and trusted by the public. ■
