Basic geoengineering, and autonomous construction robots
Nov 30, 2023
auto_awesome
Exploring the idea of increasing ocean alkalinity to capture carbon and its potential impacts on climate change and ecosystems. Discussing the benefits of autonomous construction robots in reducing energy costs and enabling remote construction on Mars. Highlighting the concept of alkalinity enhancement as a method of geoengineering and the challenges associated with it. Exploring the urgent need to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and the potential of autonomous construction robots to repurpose construction debris. Discussing a robot-built stone wall in Zurich and its benefits in terms of reducing environmental impact and potential space applications. Exploring how industrial robots are revolutionizing architecture and enabling the construction of complex structures.
Increasing the alkalinity of the ocean can enhance carbon capture and storage, but there are concerns about scalability and ecological impacts.
Autonomous construction robots using found materials can reduce energy costs and waste, promoting circularity in construction.
Deep dives
Increasing the alkalinity of the ocean as a geoengineering approach
Research is being conducted on increasing the alkalinity of the ocean to capture more carbon and mitigate climate change. The process involves growing carbon-absorbing organisms in the ocean, which sink and store carbon deep in the ocean. Additionally, adding alkalinity to the ocean can accelerate the absorption of CO2 and create more room for carbon storage. However, the tactic raises questions about its scalability, potential harm to ecosystems, and overall effectiveness in addressing climate change.
Autonomous robots in construction: Building structures from found materials
Researchers are exploring the use of autonomous construction robots to build large structures using materials found on-site. This approach reduces energy costs and waste associated with traditional construction methods. For instance, using repurposed construction debris, these robots can build freestanding stone walls and other structures. The process involves scanning and mapping the irregular materials, determining their placement, and refining their alignment using physics-based simulations. This approach offers potential environmental benefits and supports the concept of circularity in construction by allowing for the reuse of materials.
The importance of ocean alkalinity in carbon storage
The ocean holds a substantial amount of carbon, with about 40 trillion tons stored in its depths. Understanding how carbon gets bound up in the ocean and the processes involved is critical in addressing climate change. Scientists are exploring ways to enhance the ocean's alkalinity, which facilitates the absorption of CO2 and its conversion into bicarbonate and carbonate, creating more carbon storage capacity. This research is driven by the urgency to tackle climate change and the need to explore methods for carbon capture and removal.
Challenges and considerations in ocean alkalinity enhancement
While ocean alkalinity enhancement shows promise in carbon capture, there are challenges and considerations to address. It is essential to balance the ecological effects of increasing alkalinity, particularly regarding the impact on marine organisms and food web dynamics. Additionally, the scalability and efficiency of the process need further examination, as substantial amounts of alkaline minerals may be required to make a measurable impact. The detection and monitoring of alkalinity changes in the ocean, as well as potential environmental effects like mining and the release of trace metals, are also important factors to consider.
Raising the pH of the ocean to reduce carbon in the air, and robots that can landscape
First up on this week’s show, Contributing Correspondent Warren Cornwall discusses research into making oceans more alkaline as a way to increase carbon capture and slow climate change. But there are a few open questions with this strategy: Could enough material be dumped in the ocean to slow climate change? Would mining that material release a lot of carbon? And, would either the mining or ocean changes have big impacts on ecosystems or human health?
Next, we hear from Ryan Luke Johns, a recent Ph.D. graduate from ETH Zürich, about why we want robots building big rocky structures from found materials: It reduces energy costs and waste associated with construction, and it would allow us to build things remotely on Mars.
This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.