Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts
Abstract Background Under the United Nations convention on the law of the sea (1982), each participating country maintains exclusive economic and environmental rights within the oceanic region extending 200 nm from its coastline, known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Although the ocean within...
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ftbiomed:oai:biomedcentral.com:1750-0680-1-5 2023-05-15T13:46:02+02:00 Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts McNeil, Ben I 2006-07-21 http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/1/1/5 en eng BioMed Central Ltd. http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/1/1/5 Copyright 2006 McNeil; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Research 2006 ftbiomed 2007-11-11T15:29:59Z Abstract Background Under the United Nations convention on the law of the sea (1982), each participating country maintains exclusive economic and environmental rights within the oceanic region extending 200 nm from its coastline, known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Although the ocean within each EEZ has a vast capacity to absorb anthropogenic CO 2 and therefore potentially be used as a carbon sink, it is not mentioned within the Kyoto Protocol most likely due to inadequate quantitative estimates. Here, I use two methods to estimate the anthropogenic CO 2 storage and uptake for a typically large EEZ (Australia). Results Depending on whether the Antarctic territory is included I find that during the 1990s between 30–40% of Australia's fossil-fuel CO 2 emissions were absorbed by its own EEZ. Conclusion This example highlights the potential significance of the EEZ carbon sink for national carbon accounts. However, this 'natural anthropogenic CO 2 sink' could be used as a disincentive for certain nations to reduce their anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, which would ultimately dampen global efforts to reduce atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Since the oceanic anthropogenic CO 2 sink has limited ability to be controlled by human activities, current and future international climate change policies should have an explicit 'EEZ' clause excluding its use within national carbon accounts. Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctic BioMed Central Antarctic The Antarctic |
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Abstract Background Under the United Nations convention on the law of the sea (1982), each participating country maintains exclusive economic and environmental rights within the oceanic region extending 200 nm from its coastline, known as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Although the ocean within each EEZ has a vast capacity to absorb anthropogenic CO 2 and therefore potentially be used as a carbon sink, it is not mentioned within the Kyoto Protocol most likely due to inadequate quantitative estimates. Here, I use two methods to estimate the anthropogenic CO 2 storage and uptake for a typically large EEZ (Australia). Results Depending on whether the Antarctic territory is included I find that during the 1990s between 30–40% of Australia's fossil-fuel CO 2 emissions were absorbed by its own EEZ. Conclusion This example highlights the potential significance of the EEZ carbon sink for national carbon accounts. However, this 'natural anthropogenic CO 2 sink' could be used as a disincentive for certain nations to reduce their anthropogenic CO 2 emissions, which would ultimately dampen global efforts to reduce atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. Since the oceanic anthropogenic CO 2 sink has limited ability to be controlled by human activities, current and future international climate change policies should have an explicit 'EEZ' clause excluding its use within national carbon accounts. |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
McNeil, Ben I |
spellingShingle |
McNeil, Ben I Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts |
author_facet |
McNeil, Ben I |
author_sort |
McNeil, Ben I |
title |
Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts |
title_short |
Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts |
title_full |
Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts |
title_fullStr |
Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts |
title_full_unstemmed |
Significance of the oceanic CO2sink for national carbon accounts |
title_sort |
significance of the oceanic co2sink for national carbon accounts |
publisher |
BioMed Central Ltd. |
publishDate |
2006 |
url |
http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/1/1/5 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic |
op_relation |
http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/1/1/5 |
op_rights |
Copyright 2006 McNeil; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. |
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1766235305564700672 |