Whales, CO2 pumps:
Science has
established that CO2 in the atmosphere is the cause of ocean acidification and
global warming, it is also science that has demonstrated the essential role of
whales in regulating emissions CO2 through the process called “the whale pump”.
Every day the
whales ingest tons of krill deep down and release plumes of feces near the
surface which contribute to the growth of plankton, a fundamental carbon pump
for the Earth's climate ...
When it comes to
combating global warming, we often think of trees and their photosynthetic
capacity. However, it seems that whales are also major players in absorbing CO2
from the atmosphere. At the last UN summit and International Climate Week last
week, a team of analysts from the International Monetary Fund highlighted the
unexpected and yet vital role of giant cetaceans in the fight against global
warming.
And the impact of giant cetacean excrement on this phytoplankton would be significant since the body estimates it at 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide evacuated from our atmosphere each year. To get a better idea of what this represents, Sciences et Avenir provides an enlightening comparison: this figure is higher than Brazil's annual carbon emissions.
The study specifies that even increased, the whale population will not have as great an impact as the trees, which are always essential for the proper functioning of our ecosystem.
But this report llows us to better appreciate their contribution to the fight against global warming.
It would also be worth remembering these elements when it comes to quantifying their cost of protecting whales. It is
she who will save the planet!
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