Capturing Carbon
Carbon capture and storage can help mitigate climate change but conservationists need to assess the risks to biodiversity.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is gaining increasing attention as a way of mitigating climate change. Potential storage options include geological formations for industrial use such as oil and gas fields, unminable coal beds and direct release into the ocean water column or the deep seafloor. But carbon dioxide storage in the sea can greatly increase ocean acidification, a significant ecological risk. Ocean fertilization - the practice of increasing the ocean's uptake of CO2 from the atmosphere by fertilization of phytoplamkton with iron is also being viewed with some alarm. Many believe that CSS should be explored as part of the solution to mitigate climate change but the potential risks to biodiversity must be identified. At its last conference, the Conference on Biological Diversity, agreed on a de facto moratorium on ocean fertilization, with the exception of small-scale scientific activities. This decision came after scientists reviewing the evidence concluded that "based on scinetific projections, there is the potential for significant risks of harm to the marine environment".
Want to find out more?
- Expert in the field: IUCN
- Suggested source: World Conservation, 60th Anniversary Issue
- Website: IUCN's portal
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