Hank Roberts wrote:
>
> I keep hoping to hear from someone that there's a scenario that will
> keep the ocean pH problem from going where it's headed. Has anyone
> published estimates for any options there? A combined plan that
> actually looks at both climate and pH at the same time would be
> refreshing.
Perhaps increasing the mixing rate of the ocean at high latitudes (cool,
so CO2 is relatively highly soluble) might help to get the acidity
distributed deeper through the ocean rather than concentrated in the
upper layer. Just a wild Friday-night stab in the dark, don't take it
seriously...
I did try to run the following idea past a ocean biogeochemist: Use wind
power to pump deep (nutrient-rich) water up to the surface, to increase
primary productivity, potentially burying carbon as detritus and also
increasing food production. He was full of reasons why it wouldn't work
(eg if it had a significant effect, there would be the risk of anoxia
due to the organic fallout, with various unwelcome consequences). Shame,
I was aiming to retire with my $25m windfall from Branson. I never got
as far as working if energy requirements made sense. I've heard of plans
to use "free" gravity power (the head of river run-off) to increase
mixing in fjords, so as to increase productivity (the bottom water is
often fairly stagnant, nutrient-rich but anoxic due to the sill
separating it from the open sea). In fact I'm sure it's been done at
least experimentally.
I'll have to get working on the floating rafts of coconut trees, with
genetically engineered heavy coconuts which sink to the ocean floor...
James
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