Eco Factor: Adding lime to oceans would reduce their acidity and enable them to soak up more CO2.
While curbing emissions still remains the best possible way to stop global warming or at least reduce its impact, researchers all over the globe are trying to develop a Plan B, which can save the planet from a disastrous end if the global CO2 emissions continue to rise at the pace at which they’re currently rising. Tim Kruger is one of the many researchers who’re figuring out an alternative plan to save the earth. The inventor thinks that his plan, known as “Cquestrate,” could not just reduce the effects of global warming but can actually turn back the clock on CO2 emissions, making Earth a much more comfortable place to live in.
The scientist believes that adding lime to ocean waters would reduce their acidity, make them better for marine life to thrive and above all engineer oceans to soak up more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing the effects of global warming. Tim believes that by adding lime to seawater, CO2 would be converted into bicarbonate ions, thereby decreasing the acidity of water and enabling oceans to soak up more CO2.
Currently the oceans soak up to one-third of all CO2 emitted by humans. This enormous amount of CO2 increases ocean acidity, which decreases their ability to soak carbon dioxide and shows its effects on marine life as well. Tim believes that mining and processing about 10 cubic kilometers of limestone each year and capturing the CO2 emitted during the process and burying it onsite will help solve the problem.
Via: Guardian
