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platforms 2.0 by red eye lab llc

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Pitch

To create a floating mass on the world's oceans that would reduce ocean acidification and remove CO2 from the atmosphere.


Description

Summary

 

Like the original "Platform" submitted in 2014, I decided to revisit the idea of creating a floating garden in the world's oceans.  Platform 2.0 uses kelp as the primary part of the design.  In particular, those kelps that have air bladder in their leaves.  My new design uses glass or steel buoys, hemp rope, and steel cables and frames.  The hemp rope is used as a platform and anchor for the kelp.  The glass buoys will be tied to the rope to keep it close to water surface.  Each unit will be anchored to the sea floor with the steel cable.

I designed the system as a series of interlocking rings that can be expanded to any size.  The sizes can range from a swimming pool to a large lagoon.  As the system grows, it will release oxygen into the water, which will in turn help balance the ph levels in the ocean.

 Another benefit of the system is that it can be used as a nursery/home for a verity of marine species.

At some point the units will become too massive to stay afloat.  At that time, we would remove the buoys and cables to allow the unit to sink to the ocean floor.  We have created a system for putting carbon in our atmosphere, so we need a system for extracting it.

Each unit will consist of hemp rope threaded with a 3/8 inch steel rod.  Glass or steel buoys and cables with anchors.   The hemp rope will be implanted with kelp spores inside a nursery before being placed in the sea.  


Which plan do you select for China?

Go ahead China, show the example and reap the benefits!

Which plan do you select for India?

Circular Economy and Climate Change

Which plan do you select for the United States?

2020 Cities By 2020: America's Mayors Taking Charge On Climate Change

Which plan do you select for Europe?

Europe's Integrated Climate Action Plan

Which plan do you select for other developing countries?

Towards a Holistic Path to combating Climate Change Impacts in Kingdom of Jordan

Which plan do you select for other developed countries?

Spread of Eco-friendly Japanese Recipes

What additional cross-regional proposals are included in your plan, if any?


How do the regional and cross-sectoral plans above fit together?

When I created my proposal, I called for the development of a matrix that would included contributions from the public and private sectors.  For example, the Pacific Asian Nations(like Japan) have a establish tradition of farming kelp.  The knowledge those countries could provide would be critical during the initial setup.

 When countries and cities from Europe to North America agree to establish carbon exchanges.  A bonus for a system like Platform 2.0 is that it would be readily available as a source of carbon credits.

 

 


Explanation of the emissions scenario calculated in the Impact tab


What are the plan’s key benefits?

 

Platform 2.0 will be setup as a system that will have its own chain of support.  We will pay farmers for hemp the same way we pay farmers to grow corn for ethanol.   We will set up assemblage plants in coastal communities around the world.  Each community will used a type of kelp that is native to their waters.  Once the unit is in placed, it will be monitored by a combination of marine biologists and the coast guard.

The best way to think of Platform 2.0 is as reverse farming system.  The crops/kelp is planted in the ocean and after a period of time, the unit will be allow to sink under its own weight.  The carbon, absorbed by kelp, will be safely sequestered on the bottom of the ocean.


What are the plan’s costs?

 

Non-profit corporation will set up the first manufacturing plants.  Local and nation governments will help with farm subsidies as well as research and monitoring.  Private companies that work on the world's oceans and seas can provide strategic information about where to setup each system.  Individuals can volunteer to work in the manufacturing plant or patrol the units in the water. 


What are the key challenges to enacting this plan?

The main obstacle is putting the system in place.  Like a lot of the land on this planet, most of the costal waters are claimed by someone.  One of the goals of the plan is to convince local governments to create marine sanctuaries.  I would also like to bring the petroleum industry in on the project to assist with financing and advising.  I would like to use some of their existing oil rigs as platforms for Platform 2.0.

 


Timeline

The system will take about five years to set up.  The sequestration should take another four years; depending on the species of kelp.  We will need to test the system in one region to fix any bugs.  If it works in a place like the Pacific Northwest, we should be able to instantly export the design to regions that share a similar climate.  It has been noted that one acre of trees can remove five to ten tons of CO2 per year.  If we push Platform 2.0 to its limit, we should see a drop in CO2 in the first ten to twenty years.


References

Experiment could help restore kelp forests in Puget ... - Kitsap Sun

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar10f_ph.html

http://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/tools/cufr-tree-carbon-calculator-ctcc