We aren't discussing lowering atmospheric CO2 levels, we are discussing avoiding adding the minimal CO2 that is involved with the production of nukes and electric cars so the UK stops adding ggs to the atmosphere.
From seawater, as he said. Yes, that is a completely stupid thing to do, but we are discussing whether the completely stupid approach of no longer adding ggs to the atmosphere is possible, not whether it makes sense to do that.
Without volts, the sewage system won't work.
We'll see...
Never said it would. I was talking about PRODUCING limestone.
From the sea.
Not by enough to matter if the UK was actually stupid enough to go that route to avoid adding any more ggs to the atmosphere from the production of nukes and electric vehicles.
Not if only the UK is doing it.
I say again, from the sea.
It's quite an interesting question. Farming oysters is a good way to make limestone, but where do the calcium ions come from? Presumably, from the weathering of existing rocks. Feldspars are aluminosilicates and can contain calcium, so there is plenty of it available in continental crust. But ions are only liberated at a certain rate by weathering. Does the existing marine fauna already effectively fix all the available calcium ions, or might there be scope to "fix" more carbon dioxide? Apparently the calcium level in seawater is about 400 ppm.
Just did some back of envelope sums and it looks as though that's enough to "fix" 6e17 kg of carbon dioxide, or 300 times the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Oysters it is, then.
Oysters
For a non-racist explanation of the fallacy here I recommend Hans Rosling "Factfulness". A useful adjunct to David McKay.
Seawater is naturally slightly alkaline. It contains squillions of tons of calcium, derived as you said from calcium-bearing rocks. It has immense buffering capacity. The various equilibria between calcium ions in solution and CO2 in the atmosphere above it are several and complex. This article touches on the problem and suggests that the oceans are capable of absorbing massive amounts more of CO2 than they already have, and that ocean acidification is in reality unlikely to happen any time soon, unlike what we keep hearing from the alarmists.
Why are you banging on about oysters? Cretaceous chalk was laid down by microscopic photosynthetic organisms, depending on the exact composition and pH of the sea. I don't know whether it's happening now, or if there is any way to encourage calcite formation.
You seem unable to look further than the end of your street. If all systems collapsed, the hardy would survive. That doesn't include our society. To make it simpler in cat terms, tabby house cat will not survive outdoors for as long as a feral cat as it will not have someone to feed him.
Thanks for the fascinating links. I'm afraid I have lazily given up reading that web site, there's just too much to read and digest. First article, 6 pages plus 27 pages of comments!
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required