The United States should undertake a major research program into how the oceans could be artificially harnessed to remove carbon dioxide from the air, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Scientists are increasingly coming around to the position that reducing carbon emissions may not stabilize the climate, and that technologies to actively remove carbon from the air may be needed. The new report builds on a 2019 National Academies study that found that in order to meet internationally agreed upon climate goals, the world’s nations would need to remove roughly 10 billion tons of CO2 from the air every year by 2050—nearly a quarter of current annual emissions—in addition to reducing emissions. While several land-based strategies such as storing carbon in agricultural soil or changing forest management may be ready for deployment now, less is known about the risks, benefits and trade-offs of ocean-based strategies, say the authors. Some prospective methods could include cultivating seaweed on vast scales, manipulating seawater nutrients, or even passing electrical currents through the water.

Read the full article about how oceans can lend a hand in carbon removal from Columbia Climate School at Environmental News Network.