Submitted by MotorDrive t3_115lnqg in technology
cuddly_carcass t1_j948y3x wrote
Reply to comment by _Brandobaris_ in MIT team makes a case for direct carbon capture from seawater, not air by MotorDrive
But what if the ocean like needs Carbon….like to form life. 🤷♀️ serious don’t know but I get worried about potential domino effect with stuff like this
_Brandobaris_ t1_j94f7mh wrote
Sure, the ocean absolutely needs the carbon. But I think the point of this is that the surface area of the ocean is so much larger than the rest of the surface area of the Earth and that the infusion of CO2 into the ocean is so significant that pulling it out of the ocean water is a lot easier than pulling it out of the air. The decarbonization of the air is done through a mass decarbonization of the water. Without a lot of understanding of the thermal dynamics of transport it’s very difficult to explain. I’m not trying to say that anyone who doesn’t understand is an idiot, it is just the opportunity of understanding.
This isn’t rocket science, it is so much fucking more difficult.
Edit grammar and clarity. And to be sure I’m not trying to shit on anyone.
Agreeable-Meat1 t1_j9527ar wrote
>The decarbonization of the air is done through a mass decarbonization of the water.
But how? Does the ocean itself absorb carbon? And if so, does it have a natural resting point with an osmosis like process that will draw in more carbon naturally if we lower the available.levels?
Gumbercleus t1_j952qwu wrote
The ocean does absorb carbon, and in doing so becomes more acidic. This is (part of) the process currently killing/bleaching coral reefs.
Nick-Uuu t1_j9672wa wrote
Yes it reaches an equilibrium with the atmosphere, same way a sodastream works
Cum_on_doorknob t1_j96twqw wrote
People have answered, but just for some more points. Our blood is a salt solution, the ph is regulated by CO2. Your brain will set your respiratory rate to determine how much CO2 you will expel or retain in your body to keep its acid base balance.
Ocean acidity is a huge problem since we’ve started pumping CO2 into the atmosphere, possibly could be more damaging than the temperature increases.
MotorDrive OP t1_j94fanu wrote
There is already so much carbon in the ocean right now, as a result of human emissions (oceans help absorb co2 from the air) that they are too acidic
Joe_Doblow t1_j94iy14 wrote
Could we make diamonds from this carbon?
skolioban t1_j94meey wrote
Probably, but the cost of making it won't cover the price of the diamond. Also, diamond price is artificially inflated from monopolies.
Andybaby1 t1_j94g45e wrote
A majority of the carbon released from fossil fuels ends up in the ocean. Only a very small percentage stays in the atmosphere.
Don't worry. Scientists have thought about this. If you want to know more take an oceans and environmental science course. Though to really understand it would take more than just one course. The interactions been air and ocean is extremely complex and happens on time scales from seconds to thousands of years. But the shoet of it when it comes to carbon in the ocean, carbon is not the limiting nutrient. It's usually micro nutrients like iron, nitrogen, or phosphorus. Carbon doesn't even hit the top 5 limiting nutrients in most systems.
This headline has been known by scientists for at least 50 years probably more than 100.
TheRetenor t1_j952r34 wrote
Life also needs carbon in the air. It's just that there's a bit too much of it in it, for both cases.
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