Rosmond Evening Talk: ‘Can the Ocean Solve Our Carbon Problem? A Survey of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Strategies.’

Olympic Natural Resources Center
Rosmond Evening Talk Series
July 24, 2024 at 7 PM

Join us either in-person in the Hemlock Forest Room,
1455 S. Forks Ave, Forks, WA or via Zoom:
https://washington.zoom.us/j/3834334539

Can the Ocean Solve Our Carbon Problem?
A Survey of Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Strategies

Presented by: Meg Chadsey from Washington Sea Grant

Evidence of climate change is all around us. Rising seas, forest fires and impacts to fisheries are just some of the effects coastal residents are experiencing. With these challenges feeling more urgent than ever, people are looking for new ways to tackle climate change that feel up to the scale of the problem. Many are looking to the ocean, which covers 2/3 of our planet, as a potential source of solutions to our carbon problem. From nature-based methods like kelp farming, to more engineered approaches like ocean alkalinity enhancement, there’s no shortage of ideas (and enthusiasm) for the suite of ocean-based strategies collectively known as marine carbon dioxide removal or mCDR. But how do we know what will work, and which would be a good fit for Washington’s outer coast? Most of these strategies are in very early stages of development, and many scientific questions remain. The public’s appetite for large-scale climate interventions is also uncertain. This talk will provide a high-level overview of the mCDR landscape, with an emphasis on approaches being explored in Pacific Northwest waters and consider what it might take for mCDR to succeed in our region.