Target: Rick Spinrad, Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Goal: Support investment in carbon capture technology to reduce global warming
A series of powerful tornadoes from Texas to Indiana have cut a swath of deadly destruction in recent weeks, ripping roofs off of buildings and killing and injuring dozens of people. According to scientists, Tornado Alley is expanding and spawning more violent supercell storms. The atmospheric instability brought about by a rapidly warming climate is believed to play a major role in these troubling trends. As carbon is a driving factor of climate change, reduction of these emissions could prove vital in trying to reverse many of the dangerous weather effects worsened by the warming world.
An initiative nurtured by researchers at UCLA and beyond is one of the most promising efforts in the planet’s mission to combat carbon: ocean CO2 capture. The seas are already a gigantic sponge of sorts for carbon absorption, as they take in about 25 percent of current emissions while absorbing 90 percent of the Earth’s warming. Because of humanity’s impact, though, the ocean is losing this ability as it becomes more acidic and hotter. An electrochemical process could help cleanse seawater of carbon (and transform the carbon into mineral form) and return water to the seas healthier and ready to absorb more carbon. Better yet, during this process hydrogen is created that can be used as a clean power source.
Sign the petition below to urge robust investment in this potentially game-changing technology.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Administrator Spinrad,
As we celebrate another Earth Day, we cannot help but be reminded of the existential threat this planet faces every day. Last year saw the highest amount of carbon emissions on record at a time when we’re being told that trillions of tons of carbon need to be removed from the atmosphere over the next few decades to make life on planet Earth sustainable. It’s time to get serious about long-term solutions.
UCLA’s SeaChange ocean carbon capture technology could be a leader among those solutions. This tech uses electrochemical processes to drain carbon from the world’s oceans so that these waters can fully utilize their incredible ability to suck vast amounts of pollution and warmth from the atmosphere. With this tech, the oceans remain healthy and able to act as a consistent and capable guardian. Plus, the technology that makes these promising processes possible creates hydrogen byproducts that can then be converted into clean energy.
CO2 capture needs the commitment and investment to move from the research phase to the widespread and transformative application stage. Please make this investment for the sake of this country’s and this world’s future.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Matt Hardy
1130 Signatures