Significance of the oceanic CO2 sink for national carbon accounts
Author Information
Author(s): Ben I McNeil
Primary Institution: University of New South Wales
Hypothesis
How significant could the EEZ CO2 sink be for national carbon accounts?
Conclusion
The study highlights the potential significance of the EEZ carbon sink for national carbon accounts and suggests it should be excluded from climate policies to avoid disincentivizing emission reductions.
Supporting Evidence
- Australia's EEZ absorbed 30-40% of its fossil-fuel CO2 emissions during the 1990s.
- The ocean CO2 sink has hindered accelerated climate change by absorbing about 33% of fossil-fuel emissions.
- Australia's EEZ is one of the largest in the world, covering an area of 8.2 × 10^6 km2.
Takeaway
The ocean can absorb a lot of carbon dioxide, which helps reduce pollution, but countries shouldn't count this as a reason to pollute more.
Methodology
The study estimates the anthropogenic CO2 storage and uptake in Australia's EEZ using oceanic measurements of chlorofluorocarbons and atmospheric observations.
Limitations
The method relies on indirect estimates and has a total uncertainty of 10-20%.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
2.12 ± 0.7 Pg CO2
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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