A whale of a deal to save the oceans (and us)

The ocean helps to mitigate climate change, absorbing 93% of the heat trapped by GHG and about 30% of the CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels so far

HERE’S a pop quiz. What is the earth’s biggest carbon sink?

Nope, it’s not forests, or peatlands. It’s that body of water that covers 71% of our planet’s surface: The ocean.

We have a lot to thank the ocean for. Three billion people depend on its ecosystems for food and economic security. It has also helped to mitigate climate change, absorbing 93% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases (GHG) and about 30% of the CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels so far. If we didn’t have the ocean, we’d be in a much stickier situation.