The winning initiative is led by Minik Rosing, Greenlandic Professor of Geology at the GLOBE Institute of the University of Copenhagen. The initiative proposes to use glacial rock flour to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations, improve global food security, and bring new business opportunities to Greenland.
As the world struggles with grand challenges, the glacial rock flour offers a solution to multiple problems. Abraded from the Greenland bedrock by the movement of the ice sheet, the rock flour is a plentiful and naturally occurring concentrate of mineral nutrients. Stimulated by heat and humidity, a process known as weathering releases the nutrients from the rock flour and simultaneously binds atmospheric CO2. Thus, when used to treat soil in tropical and even temperate climates, the glacial rock flour can help mitigate greenhouse-gas induced climate change and at the same time increase crop yield. In oceanic settings, the rock flour binds CO2 and also reduces the acidification of seawater. The glacial rock flour project offers a scalable solution which stimulates natural systems to consume CO2, strengthens the resilience of ecosystems, and can also provide economic benefits to Greenland.
“Globally, the Arctic has become the symbol of accelerating climate disaster; a frail, pitiful region in need of help and sympathy. I hope our project can redefine the Arctic as the go-to region for solutions to global problems and inhabited by peoples with agency and impact,” Minik Rosing states.
The winning initiative receives EUR 100,000 and the opportunity to implement the project through the UArctic network.
Read the original article here: The Frederik Paulsen Arctic Academic Action Award (arcticcircle.org)