Title: The potential of the ocean for the management of global warming

Authors: Ian S.F. Jones, Helen E. Young

Addresses: Ocean Technology Group, University of Sydney, Australia. ' Earth Ocean and Space, Australian Technology Park, Sydney, Australia

Abstract: The ocean represents a potential opportunity to store carbon dioxide from fossil fuel away from the atmosphere. Three carbon sequestration strategies are reviewed and the technical, legal and ethical issues that would follow from their widespread adoption are examined. Each of these strategies could play a significant role in mitigating the carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere. The legal basis for the ocean sinks of carbon dioxide is unclear, but it is certain that climate modification by ocean sinks will lead to some winners and some losers. It is concluded that staged intervention to manage climate change is morally defensible. The opportunity to produce economical protein accessible to the poor while managing climate change justifies further investigation of the ocean fertilisation strategy.

Keywords: climate change; carbon storage; oceans; ocean nourishment; ocean fertilisation; global warming; carbon dioxide; carbon sequestration; ocean sinks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2009.027080

International Journal of Global Warming, 2009 Vol.1 No.1/2/3, pp.43 - 56

Published online: 14 Jul 2009 *

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