Researchers have uncovered a simple yet innovative way to drastically reduce the harmful emissions of the global shipping industry.
The study, published in Science Advances, examined the potential of a shipboard system called accelerated weathering of limestone, which replicates the natural carbon sequestering process of the ocean. If used at scale, the researchers project this could cut shipping's carbon pollution in half.
The process of AWL is remarkably straightforward. Carbon dioxide from the ship's exhaust is absorbed by water pumped on board the ship. This makes the water more acidic, and it is then passed through a bed of limestone, which causes a reaction. The acid forms bicarbonate, a naturally occurring compound in seawater. The treated water is then released into the ocean with minimal impact on the pH balance.
One of the study's authors, William Berelson, explained in a University of Southern California news release that it began as a simple question of how the ocean buffers carbon dioxide.
"From there, we realized we might have a real-world solution that could help fight climate change," Berelson said.
Reducing the environmental impact of the shipping industry is challenging but vital work. As the United Nations notes, 80% of global trade is conducted via maritime shipping. The industry causes around 3% of harmful pollution, but reducing that impact has proved very difficult. Solutions such as electrification and alternative fuels are prohibitively expensive to enact on a large scale. The benefit of AWL is its ease of integration into existing designs.
The ocean is the world's greatest carbon sink, taking in 16 times more carbon than all the trees on Earth combined, but that comes at a cost. As NOAA reports, the ocean is becoming more acidic because of human activity, and that puts entire ecosystems at risk. Moreover, plastic pollution is reducing the ocean's ability to sequester carbon. AWL offers a relatively low-cost, low-impact way to solve the problem.
Of course, the research is still at an early stage, and it will be some time before it can be implemented widely. Accordingly, it's essential to protect oceans through simple actions such as reducing the use of plastics, repurposing old containers, and backing brands that use plastic-free packaging.
|
Should we be harnessing the ocean to power our homes? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 👍 
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
