Symposium 6
Is the Ocean useful to absorb carbon dioxide?
　- Is it possible to avoide an abrupt change in bio-geosphere system?

Date: April 16(Fri) 2004 17:00 - 19:00
Place: The auditorium of Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science(2F)


The Chair Person: Dean Motoyoshi Ikeda (The COE program leader)

Speakers:
　　Asso. Prof. Yasuhiro Yamanaka (Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science)
　　Asso. Prof. Isao Kudo (Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences)
　　Professor Masao Minagawa (Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science)
　　Professor Ayumi Tanaka (Institute of Low Temperature Science)




　　　Anthoropogenic carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere, reaching the level twice as high as the present in 70 years.
The consequence will be global warming by 2 degree celsius.
ocean ecosystem dynamics -> marine productivity
　　　As we promised in the Kyoto protocol, we have to reduce the amount of CO2 discharge. Some people are planning to absorb CO2 in a forest, but we think there is a limitation for the absorption by a forest. How about the absorption by the ocean? Is it possible to reduce the CO2 not only by the absorption which is caused by higher CO2 pressure, but also by storaging CO2 in deep ocean or by the augmentation of CO2 absorption by higher ocean ecosystem dynamics. To increase the ocean ecosystem dynamics, we use iron enrichment, fixsation of Nitrogen or gene mutation.
　　　But are they realistic and effective? Or are they safe to the environment? We hold this symposium to discuss these subjects based on the environmental earth science.



*Pictures of the symposium

　　　


　　　

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Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science
Hokkaido University
N10 W5, Sapporo 060-0810, JAPAN