We know that forests bind carbon dioxide. Now economists at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have calculated on the ability of whales to do the same.
"The whales are the sea tree," says Ralph Chami, economist at the IMF. Saving the whales does not mean that we save the climate, but paired with other carbon capture strategies, they can be part of a global plan to save our planet.
Captures more carbon dioxide than 1000 trees
By absorbing and storing carbon dioxide in their bodies, a large choice binds 33 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime, according to the analysis. There are more than 1,000 trees. When the whales die, it sinks to the bottom of the ocean and carries the stored carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere for hundreds of years.
But the value of the whales to the planet does not stay there. Researchers have found that wherever whales are found, the amount of phytoplankton increases. The faeces of the whales, which contain large amounts of iron, nitrogen and phosphorus, are the perfect fertilizer for phytoplankton.
Phytoplankton absorbs carbon dioxide
Phytoplankton contributes with approximately the amount of oxygen in our atmosphere. When the plankton produces oxygen, they capture as much carbon dioxide as four Amazon rainforests, according to the IMF's analysis. The more whales, the more plant plankton and greater uptake of carbon dioxide.
- The sea and all marine life play a key role in stabilizing the earth's climate. Research on whales' ability to absorb carbon dioxide is in its infancy and we need more knowledge. But the concept shows that nature's solutions to climate change can be part of the climate policy toolbox, says Steven Lutz, program manager at the Norwegian research foundation GRID-Arendal.
The value of the whales in kronor and the eagle
Earth's evolution has created many smart natural processes for carbon dioxide absorption. Ralph Chami and his colleagues took stock of the whales' ability to store coal and increase the production of phytoplankton. Using the price of emission rights, they calculated what the whale's "climate services" are worth in real money and then added other economic benefits, such as election tourism. They concluded that each of the sea's giants is worth about SEK 20 million and that the global stock of large whales is worth as much as SEK 10 trillion for humanity.
Should be included in the goals of the Paris Agreement
Economists believe that the protection and survival of the whales should be included in the goals set by the countries that signed the Paris Agreement to combat climate change.
The analysis was published in Finance and Development.
Play the clip above to see how the whales capture carbon dioxide in the oceans.