
TED Talks Daily Can seaweed help curb global warming? | Tim Flannery
Oct 1, 2020
Tim Flannery, an environmentalist championing seaweed farming, discusses its remarkable potential to combat climate change. He reveals how massive ocean-based seaweed farms could capture significant amounts of carbon emissions. Flannery emphasizes the innovative strategies and financial incentives needed to make this vision a reality. He also highlights the dual benefits of seaweed: tackling global warming while boosting marine biodiversity. This conversation sheds light on a fascinating, scalable solution for a healthier planet.
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Drawdown: The Other Half of the Climate Challenge
- Climate change requires both emissions cuts and active CO2 removal, or drawdown.
- This new phase demands new thinking beyond carbon offsets, focusing on large-scale removal.
Two Pathways for Drawdown
- Drawdown can be achieved through chemical or biological pathways.
- Biological methods, like using plants, leverage free solar energy for photosynthesis.
Seaweed Farming's Potential
- Reforestation alone may not suffice due to land use limitations and the time it takes for trees to mature.
- Offshore seaweed farming offers a scalable solution.
