The acceleration of Global Warming over the past year is making the issue of geoengineering more and more pressing. Since the concept contains the term “engineering,” plenty of people are thinking in terms of methods based on machinery of all kinds, for instance, to pump CO2 underground, hoping that it will stay there for a long time.
However, there are less invasive methods, although still using machinery. For instance, take a look at this paper by Oschlies et al., titled, “Climate engineering by artificial ocean upwelling”. It still has the term “engineering” in it, but it has a curious subtitle: “Channelling the sorcerer's apprentice.” The idea is that we have to be careful in what we do in trying to manage Earth’s climate to avoid playing the role of the apprentice sorcerer.
Oschlies’s paper is a little old, but it still makes plenty of sense. The idea is to use pumps and pipes to activate the ocean’s metabolism by artificially upwelling nutrients from the deeper layers to the surface, which can then be metabolized by photosynthetic organisms. It is similar to fertilizing the ocean by dumping iron oxide in the water.
The interesting thing is how sensitive the Earth's holobiont is to this kind of manipulation. According to the article, artificial upwelling would "be able to sequester atmospheric CO2 at a rate of about 0.9 PgC/yr," which is about a tenth of the current carbon emissions. In itself, it would not change the trend, but it is still a lot, and if it were continued for decades and coupled with a reduction of emissions from fossil fuels, it would make a difference. If we ever were to think that there are more important things than making war on each other, it could be done.
But, of course, things like pipes and flap valves are expensive. Are there easier methods to do the same? Yes, what the pipes are supposed to do used to be done by whales before humans nearly exterminated them. Whales could likely cool the planet by themselves if they were just left in peace; there would be no need for huge pipes and pumps! We need more whales!
Reposted with some modifications from “The Proud Holobionts”
"Don't just do something, Stand There!"
Hard advice for the sorcerer's apprentice to take...
;-(
Nate Hagens has been doing a series of podcasts, the later ones with video, called The Great Simplification. Most are interviews, over 100 now. I've found many of these valuable. One recently was with a climate scientist who was hot on his new scheme to sequester CO2 by enhancing the population of whales--about the only creatures that dive very deep to the sea floor, then come up to breathe, bringing up nutrients to the surface--mostly their shit, as I recall--where the nutrients can unite with the other necessary element for plant growth, sunlight. I am a fervent opponent of geoengineering, much of which would have horrific risks and side effects, but this gambit would have the side effect of there being a lot more whales--sounds good! Another reason to oppose military maneuvers and shipping and oil drilling that endanger whales.