Scientists have recently discovered that there is a simple way for reducing carbon levels in our atmosphere, and it comes through the concept of adding lime to our seawater. It is the scientists’ belief that this process has the potential to reverse the CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere significantly, stated Cath O’Driscoll in SCI’s Chemistry & Industry magazine which was published today.

Shell is highly interested and highly impressed by the new approach and has agreed to fund an investigation that would determine the economic feasibility of the process. "We think it’s a promising idea," says Shell’s Gilles Bertherin, a coordinator on the project. "There are potentially huge environmental benefits from addressing climate change - and adding calcium hydroxide to seawater will also mitigate the effects of ocean acidification, so it should have a positive impact on the marine environment."

The addition of lime to seawater decreases the alkalinity, this aids in boosting the sea water’s ability to absorb CO2 from the air, and also aids in the reduction of the waters tendency to release CO2 back into the air.

The idea has been in the works for almost four years, but in the past it has been deemed unworkable because of the high cost of obtaining lime from limestone and additionally how much CO2 is released during the process.

Tim Kruger, a management and consultant ant at London firm Corven is the brains behind the lime resurrection process. He believes that this process could be made possible by locating it in regions where there is a combination of low-cost "stranded" energy that is considered far to remote to be able to exploit- for instance flared natural gas, or solar energy in desert areas- and areas that are also rich in limestone so that calcinations can take place on site.

Kruger stated, "There are many such places - for example, Australia’s Nullarbor Plain would be a prime location for this process, as it has 10 000km3 of limestone and soaks up roughly 20MJ/m2 of solar irradiation every day."

The process of making lime generates CO2, but when you add the lime to seawater it aids in the absorption of twice as much CO2 thus making the process carbon negative.

"This process has the potential to reverse the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. It would be possible to reduce CO2 to pre-industrial levels," Kruger says.

And Professor Klaus Lackner, a researcher in the field from Columbia University, stated, "The theoretical CO2 balance is roughly right...it is certainly worth thinking through carefully."

The oceans currently already have the world’s largest carbon sink; they absorb 2bn tons of carbon each year. By increasing the ocean’s ability to intake CO2 it would decrease the absorption of CO2 into the atmosphere dramatically.