Think Green Live Clean

Photo: Cameron Russell

According to Jiao Nianzhi of Xiamen University of China, there is a substantial amount of carbon in our oceans that has previously eluded scientists.  It comes in the form of what is called refractory dissolved organic matter, and is produced by a group of creatures called AAPB (words that make up the acronym have been excluded, I’m doing you a favor).  Carbon dioxide arrives in the ocean mainly through the process of photosynthesis.  Algae, the foundation of most oceanic food chains, is consumed, and then it’s consumers are consumed; their remains sink to the bottom floor and become the afore mentioned organic matter.

Only recently have researchers discovered that they were overlooking this portion of organic compounds because could not be metabolized, hence the term “refractory.”  95% of dissolved organic material appears to be refractory.  Dr. Jiao estimates that the amount of carbon stored in the ocean may be as much as is in the atmosphere.  The belief is that the release of these refractory compounds is the result of AAPB fighting off infections.

The implications for climate change are enticing.  If we could manipulate these infections, plausibly we could turn AAPB into carbon pumps that pump carbon into a compound that can’t be turned back in to carbon dioxide.  So conceivably in the future we may be able to extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the ocean.  Of course hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but if government and corporate reluctance to reduce emissions is any indication, we may be pumpin’ before too long.

Learn more in the September 11^th-17^th edition of The Economist