Japan to rely on seagrass for carbon capture
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100 volunteers gathered on a popular beach in the Japanese port city of Yokohama to plant eelgrass in the shallow waters. Originally a local initiative to revive the coastal ecosystem, this effort has gained nationwide significance.
It’s seen as a crucial step in Japan’s journey towards carbon neutrality by 2050, as restoring coastal habitats like this can play a vital role in combating climate change.
“Over the course of this work, we’ve come to understand that it can absorb and store the carbon that causes climate change,” said Keita Furukawa, marine scientist at the Association for Shore Environment Creation.
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Scientists suggest that despite Japan being the world’s fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, its landmass, smaller than California, boasts extensive coastlines.
This unique geographical feature makes marine vegetation a promising avenue for sequestering at least a portion of the carbon dioxide it emits.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, approximately 350,000 tons of blue carbon, which denotes carbon naturally stored by marine and coastal ecosystems, were estimated for the fiscal year 2022.
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