Panel: Consider tinkering with oceans to suck up more carbon

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The United States should research how to tinker with the oceans — even zapping them with electricity — to get them to suck more carbon dioxide out of the air to fight climate change, the National Academy of Sciences recommends. Breakthrough Institute climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, who wasn’t part of the study, said the electricity and chemical approaches to change ocean acidity “have the highest potential for long-term carbon removal at a scale large enough to make a meaningful impact.” But he said he’s more skeptical of ocean fertilization to stimulate plankton. Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald, who also wasn’t part of the study, said, “Carbon removal and sequestration is required to reach low climate targets.. The ocean represents huge un-understood and untapped potential.” But Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann said merely by exploring the idea of tinkering with the ocean is harmful because polluters and government officials can use it as an excuse “to delay and downplay the only safe climate solution — dramatically curtailing our burning of fossil fuels.” It makes sense to just be prepared, said panel chairman Doney.