We Can Save the World if We Sacrifice Florida

Published on November 21, 2024

Let’s be honest if we don’t do something most of the world’s coastlines are going to be lost to the ocean. If we want to visit Miami, New York, or Sacremento it will need to be with SCUBA gear. PBS Terra did a video about the probabilities of this scenario. The recent reporting from the COP25 conference is that we are… screwed. We need to do something, that’s better than nothing and we need a lot of something.

While carbon dioxide (\(\ce{CO2})\) isn’t the only driver of climate change it’s the largest so let’s tackle that problem and we may address methane (\(\ce{CH4})\) later.

Florida - the home of “Florida Man”, outrageous news stories, alligators, climate deniers and seasonal coeds escaping the tyranny of college responsibility. It is also firmly seated on a massive amount of limestone currently used for road construction and cement, adding to our climate crisis. This proposal would like to shift that dynamic and leverage that huge resource to solve our climate crisis!

I’m going to rely on my high-school chemistry, sharp wit and actual scientific resources to provide this idea the facade of legitimacy - I hope you decide to write your Congress people to sacrifice the penis of America for the good of us all!

Quick Science

Creating Carbon Dioxide

Everyone has seen the grammar school demonstration when you mix vinegar (Acetic acid (\(\ce{CH3COOH}\))) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate (\(\ce{NaHCO3}\))) which produces the precipitate sodium acetate (\(\ce{CH3COONa}\)), water (\(\ce{H2O}\)) and carbon dioxide (\(\ce{CO2}\)).

\[ \ce{CH3COOH + NaHCO3 -> CH3COONa + H2O + CO2} \]

Absorbing Carbon Dioxide

We are looking to doing this almost exact reaction in reverse. Taking a weak acid such as carbonic acid (\(\ce{CaCO3}\)) which is dissolved in seawater and combining it with an alkaline material which is limestone (\(\ce{H2CO3}\)) to produce bicarbonate (\(\ce{HCO3-}\)) and a calcium ion (\(\ce{Ca+}\)) which beneficially is what sea creatures use to build their shells.

\[ \ce{H2CO3 + CaCO3 -> Ca2+ + 2HCO3-} \]

See! It’s a win-win!

We get rid of the carbon dioxide and allow our planet to cool and sea creatures get to build their tiny off grid homes. Everyone is happy… We just need to figure out how much of Florida we need to scalp. What’s left would be beautiful mangroves and coral reefs, right?!

Chemistry - Deeper Dive

The Chemistry of Limestone and Carbon Sequestration

Limestone, primarily composed of calcium carbonate (\(\ce{CaCO3}\)), plays a role in buffering ocean acidity and sequestering atmospheric \(\ce{CO2}\). When dissolved in water, calcium carbonate interacts with \(\ce{CO2}\) and water to form bicarbonate ions, increasing the ocean’s ability to absorb and stabilize carbon dioxide:

\[ \ce{CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O -> Ca2+ + HCO3-} \]

This reaction is part of a real geoengineering proposal called ocean alkalinity enhancement, which involves adding finely ground carbonate minerals to the ocean. By doing so, the ocean’s carbon sink capacity could increase significantly.

How Much \(\ce{CO2}\) Are We Talking About?

If we’re going to go this route we really want to solve the problem. Who wants to go through all this effort for a half-measure of a solution? So, let’s get busy and return the climate to pre-industrial levels of atmospheric levels, right?! Let’s figure out how much we need to remove from the atmosphere by determining the excess \(\ce{CO2}\):

  • Pre-industrial \(\ce{CO2}\) levels: ~280 ppm
  • Current \(\ce{CO2}\) levels: ~420 ppm
  • Excess \(\ce{CO2}\): \(\ce{420 - 280 = 140ppm}\)

The total mass of Earth’s atmosphere is about \(\ce{5.15 * 10^18kg}\). Using the molecular weights of air (\(\ce{28.97g/mol} \)) and \(\ce{CO2}\) (\(\ce{ 44.01g/mol} \)), we calculate the excess \(\ce{CO2}\) mass:

\[ \ce{Excess CO2 Mass = Excess ppm * \frac{Molar mass of CO2}{Molar mass of air} * Atmospheric mass} \]

Substituting values:1

\[ \ce{Excess CO2 Mass = 140 * \frac{44.01}{28.97} * 5.15 * 10^18 * 10^{-6}} \]

\[ \ce{Excess CO2 Mass \approx 720 * 10^12kg = 720 billion metric tons} \]

This is the amount of \(\ce{CO2}\) we need to offset. Just a teeny little bit…

How Much Limestone Is Required?

Disclaimer: I really wasn’t expecting this when I started down this rabbit hole

Calcium carbonate (\(\ce{CaCO3}\)) sequesters \(\ce{CO2}\) based on the carbon content of its molecular structure. The molecular weight of \(\ce{CaCO3}\) is \( \ce{100.09{g/mol}} \), and carbon (C) makes up \( \ce{12.01{g/mol}} \):

\[ \ce{Carbon Fraction in CaCO3 = \frac{Molar mass of carbon}{Molar mass of CaCO3} = \frac{12.01}{100.09} \approx 0.12} \]

Thus, to sequester 1 ton of \(\ce{CO2}\), we need approximately:

\[ \ce{\frac{1}{0.12} \approx 8.33 tons of limestone} \]

For 720 billion tons of \(\ce{CO2}\), the required limestone mass is:

\[ \ce{720 * 8.33 \approx 6000 billion tons or 6 trillion } \]

Adjusting for inefficiencies in the extraction process, impurities and chemistry let’s assume we will get roughly 60% of the total extracted \(\ce{CaCO3}\) to react and dissolve.

\[ \ce{((1 - 0.6) + 1 ) * 6 trillion = 8.4 trillion tons} \]

Does Florida Have Enough Limestone?

My initial assumption was that we could remove the top few meters of the state and create wonderful coral reefs and mangroves. As I got deeper into the equations I was astonished at the numbers required. Let’s roll with those initial assumptions for a bit. Florida is underlain by vast reserves of limestone, with its area totaling approximately 170,000 km². To estimate the available limestone mass, let’s consider removing the top 1 to 3 meters of limestone across the state. The density of limestone is about \( \ce{2,700{kg/m}^3} \), or \( \ce{2.7{tons/m}^3} \).

Volume of Limestone:

For a thickness ( d ) (in meters):

\[ \ce{Volume = Area * Depth} \]

Substituting values for 1-3 meters:

\[ \ce{Volume = 170,000{km}^2 * 1{m} = 170 * 10^{9}{m}^3} \] \[ \ce{Volume for 3m = (170 * 3) * 10^{9}{m}^3} \]

Mass of Limestone:

Using the density of \( \ce{2.7{tons/m}^3} \):

\[ \ce{Mass for 1m = 170 * 10^{9} * 2.7 = 459 billion metric tons} \]

\[ \ce{Mass for 3m = 510 * 10^{9} * 2.7 = 1.377 trillion metric tons} \]

This falls short a bit of the 8.4 trillion metric tons required. To reach the target, we would need to mine the limestone to a depth of approximately:

\[ \ce{Depth Required = \frac{Required Limestone Mass}{Area * Density}} \]

Substituting values:

\[ \ce{Depth Required = \frac{8.4 * 10^{12}}{170,000 * 10^{6} * 2.7}} \]

\[ \ce{Depth Required \approx 18.3{meters}} \]

Convert to feet for the Americans: \[ \ce{Feet = Meters * 3.28084} \] Substituting values: \[\ce{60.03ft \approx 18.3m * 3.28084 }\]

The Practicality (or Absurdity) of This Plan

From a chemical perspective, this solution is plausible. Dissolving Florida’s limestone into the ocean could theoretically sequester significant \(\ce{CO2}\). However:

  • The logistical challenge of mining and distributing 8.4 trillion metric tons of limestone is mind-boggling.
  • The environmental impact of destroying Florida and dumping its contents into the ocean would be catastrophic.
  • Florida’s removal would alter ocean currents, ecosystems, and the Gulf Stream.
  • The manatees would lose a home rather than gaining additional ecosystem

In short, this idea is hilariously impractical—but it underscores the sheer scale of intervention required to address climate change through geoengineering alone.

Conclusion

Destroying Florida to fight climate change is, of course, a satirical proposal, but it serves as a stark reminder of the enormous challenges we face. While extreme ideas might spark conversation, the true solution lies in addressing the root causes of climate change: reducing emissions, transitioning to sustainable energy systems, and prioritizing meaningful, collective action. It also highlights the limitations of carbon capture as a standalone solution. This technology should be leveraged as a supporting tool, not relied upon as the solution.

While no one would genuinely advocate for destroying a state, country, or community in this way to save the environment, such regions will inevitably be lost if we fail to act. As shown in the PBS Terra video referenced earlier, rising sea levels threaten to submerge these areas sooner than many realize, precipitating new types of crises—refugee migrations, food shortages, and destabilized economies across the globe.

The tools to combat this crisis are within our grasp. The question is: will our leaders have the courage to stand up to special interest groups and major polluters? Will they prioritize the planet and future generations over short-term gains? The time for action is now, and the stakes could not be higher.

Until then, let’s keep Florida intact—with Florida Man, coeds, and wildlife included—and enjoy it, limestone and all. 🌴

References and Data

  1. The \( 10^{-6} \) in this equation is a conversion factor. Since 1 ppm is equivalent to 1 part per million (\(\frac{1}{10^6}\)), we multiply by \( 10^{-6} \) to express the ppm value as a unitless fraction in calculations. ↩