Using Natural Gas to Nourish the Oceans

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Using Natural Gas to Nourish the Oceans
NOT AN OFFICIAL UNCTAD RECORD
Ian S F Jones University of Sydney Columbia
University, NY 5.7.2002

• University of Sydney
  
  Earth Ocean Space

6B FEZ1 29.04.2004
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Climate Change

• What is Ocean NourishmentTM
• Carbon credits CER GHG credits carbon
  dioxide credits
• How can Ocean Nourishment help Morocco

• University of Sydney
  
  Earth Ocean Space

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Climate Change

• Climate change has been occurring!
• Noahs flood brought social change

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  Earth Ocean Space

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Greenhouse Gas

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Future fossil fuel

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Climate

• Rapid climate change is undesirable!
• GHG influences climate
• We want to manage climate.

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Consequences?
The cost
Sea water flooding in Venice. A down side of GHG

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Consequences?
Agricultural production. A down side of GHG
Fisher et al (2002)

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GHG Emissions

• Emission of GHG
• Population GDP Intensity

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GHG Intensity

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Efficiency

• Increasing the efficiency will not solve the GHG
  problem
• A change from 35 to 50 in 20 years would be
  required

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Emission - Concentration
550ppm
Concentration predictions

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GHG Sinks

• Sinks will be needed
• Geological sequestration capture costs
• Biological sequestration

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Green Economics
Global business opportunity

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Biological Sink

• Benefits of Ocean Nourishment
• Low cost
• Permanent sequestration
• Positive environmental impact

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Ocean Nourishment

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Ocean

• The ocean is a sink of carbon

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Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis in the ocean

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Plant

• Ocean nourishment technology

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Green Coal
Nutrient manufacture
N2
NH3
CH4
Fe
Ammonia

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Nitrogen manufacture

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Carbon Credits
The concept Nourish the ocean and sell carbon
credits Produce more fish in poor countries This
reduces malnutrition improves, education,
reduces family size Stabilises population before
the ocean capacity is exhausted

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Carbon Credits
The cost of carbon dioxide credits US5 US15
per tonne of CO2 Capital costs US
300million Return on investment 30 pa See
Shoji and Jones (2001) Science of the Total
Environment

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Carbon trading

• Sinks allowed under UNFCCC
• Parties to .. enhance sinks .. marine ecosystems
• Kyoto protocol allows trading
• AIJ (UNFCCC article 4.2)
• CDM (developing and developed)

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OceanOcean Nourishment Experiment
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA

Their numerical model that solves the equation of
fluid mechanics and has a climatological
atmosphere. The model takes one day to advance 50
years and was run up to the equilibrium with the
carbon dioxide level during the pre industrial
period. The nutrients takes of order 30 days to
be spread from the surface layer of the ocean.
Enhanced photosynthetic production and export of
organic carbon occur

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Comparison of Primary Production

• Measured Chlorophyll (primary production)

• Model New Primary Production

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Numerical Experiment

• To inject reactive nitrogen to the photic zone at
  the rate of 1,000 tonnes/day for 100 years.

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Changed Ocean Productivity
Continuos injection of nitrogen at 33N, 10W after
one year
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Changed Ocean Productivity
Continuos injection of nitrogen at 33N, 10W after
500 years
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• Conclusions
• Greenhouse Gas is of concern to the public
• Ocean nourishment could play a major role.
• LIFD countries could benefit
• There is a business opportunity

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Conclusion

• Morocco can benefit from more fish
• Ocean Nourishment is a promising concept for
  Morocco to support its sustainable development
• Carbon Credits would pay for this scheme
• Ocean General Circulation Model with Ocean
  Biological Model have allowed the long-term
  impacts of an Moroccan Ocean Nourishment site to
  be assessed.

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Further info on Ocean Nourishment
www.oceannourishment.com Brochure Research papers

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An Australian Opportunity Green Coal

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Green Coal

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