Bring The Ocean To The Country: How Kelp Amendments On Grasslands Can Sequester Carbon
Atmospheric and oceanic CO2 levels are rising causing the climate to change at unprecedented levels. However, the good news is we already have the knowledge and technology to solve this existential problem. For my internship, I ran an experiment that tested a potential solution involving kelp amendments on grasslands and how this can sequester carbon from the atmosphere and sink it into stable soil stocks. Through soil and grass samples analysis from four treatment groups we can determine which kelp application technique is most effective at fixing carbon into the soil. Furthermore, the implications of this technique reach beyond climate change mitigation. On any treated grassland the sequestered carbon can be calculated and converted into a carbon credit that hold financial value in a competitive cap-and-trade system, which provides incentive and can finance farmers and landowners to continue implementing sequestration techniques and sustainable practices.
