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From what I get, yeah, there are several projects that try to use use seaweed on the open ocean to sequester CO2. [1] The yield seems to be mediocre though [2
by xg15 3y ago
From what I get, yeah, there are several projects that try to use use seaweed on the open ocean to sequester CO2. [1] The yield seems to be mediocre though [2, 3].
For all seaweed that washes up on the shore, the effect reverses: It rots and releases CO2 and methane into the atmosphere. [4]
So if it's a negative feedback loop, then a very weak one, if at all: CO2 emissions cause increased seaweed growth, but increased seaweed coverage doesn't meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas concentrations and in fact can even increase them.
[1] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/06/09/2459357/0/en/Groundbreaking-project-to-convert-Sargassum-seaweed-into-ethanol-for-use-in-plastics-C-Cause-selected-for-German-Government-s-Disruptive-Innovation-grant.html https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/06/09/245935...
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721018696 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S00489...
[3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22837-2 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22837-2
[4] https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hcas_etd_all/113/ https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hcas_etd_all/113/
- pphysch 3y agoThe carbon we are releasing into the atmosphere started off in the atmosphere until it was consumed by organisms that turned into our fossil fuels.