We give a plain language guide to the Earth’s carbon cycle by briefly summarising the observations and origins of increased levels of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 but including CH4 and N2O, in our atmosphere. The only tenable explanation for our atmosphere’s present state is that it is the consequence of mankind’s excessive use of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution onwards. We deal with the arguments that deny the truth of this, then illustrate the Earth’s global carbon cycle, which was almost exactly in equilibrium for several thousand years while humans were evolving, before industrial humans intervened. We describe how the excess greenhouse gas emissions are projected to change the global climate over this century and beyond and discuss ‘dangerous anthropogenic interference’ (DAI), ‘reasons for concern’ (RFCs) and climate tipping points. Finally, we give a short account of the various improved management, engineering and natural climate solutions advocated to increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, agricultural lands, and industry. This review concludes with our basic message, which is that cultivation of aquatic calcifiers (coccolithophore algae, corals, crustacea and molluscs) offers the only effective and permanent carbon sequestration strategy.
Shellfish cultivation is the only industry on the planet that (a) feeds us, (b) permanently removes CO2 from our atmosphere, and, with care, could (c) engineer our marine habitats to maintain the health and biodiversity of those ecosystems into the future. About 30-50% of shellfish biomass is represented by the animals’ shells, and shellfish shell is made by converting atmospheric CO2 into crystalline calcium carbonate which is stable for geological periods of time. The human tradition of eating shellfish is recorded in the ancient middens of shellfish shells that track migrations of early humans around the world. Recent history shows increasing exploitation of marine resources by an ever-growing human population. By the end of the 19th century oysters had become a cheap staple food on both sides of the Atlantic, but this oyster dredging destroyed 85% of the world’s oyster beds. In the tropics, Giant Clams have also been fished to extinction in many Indian Ocean and Pacific waters. In the 21st century, these animals deserve to have the same vigour applied to their restoration and conservation as we applied to dredging them from the seabed. In return they will cleanse our atmosphere by permanently sequestering its excess CO2 into limestone. And we must start now, before Homo sapiens is added to the list of organisms driven to extinction by humanity’s follies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.