Massachusetts researchers plan to dump 6,600 gallons of sodium hydroxide into ocean waters south of Martha’s Vineyard in August. Next summer, they intend to dump 66,000 gallons of it into the Gulf of Maine. It’s intended to test a new geoengineering technique. They plan to make ocean waters less acidic, causing them to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, hoping that if alkaline substances were dumped at truly massive scales, it could offset a portion of human caused emissions. Hydroxide is a dangerous substance that causes chemical burns on contact with humans or marine life. This experiment will alter the ocean environment, creating new risks to many already threatened marine species. Dozens of reputable studies cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of ocean alkalinity enhancement. At least two gigatons of alkaline material would have to be dumped continuously by every bulk carrier and cargo ship in the world to capture only 4% of current CO2 emissions. Mining on the scale the project requires and transporting the mined materials to ships for dumping, likely causes more greenhouse gas emissions than removed from the atmosphere after it’s dumped in the ocean.
www.commondreams.org/opinion/climate-engineering-dangerous