Frontier buys $31M worth of antacids for the ocean

Frontier, a carbon removal clearinghouse founded by companies including Google and Shopify, has purchased 115,208 metric tons of carbon removal credits from the geoengineering startup Planetary. This marks Frontier’s first agreement to remove carbon by enhancing ocean alkalinity, a method that involves increasing the ocean’s natural alkalinity to absorb more carbon dioxide. The deal prices carbon removal at $270 per metric ton, although Planetary aims to reduce this cost to under $100 per metric ton in the future. Ocean alkalinity enhancement has the potential to remove over 1 billion metric tons of CO2 annually, offering a significant tool in combating climate change. The oceans have historically absorbed large amounts of atmospheric CO2, which has slowed global warming but also increased ocean acidity, threatening marine life. Since the industrial revolution, ocean pH has dropped from about 8.2 to 8.1, representing a 30% increase in acidity due to carbonic acid formation when CO2 reacts with seawater. Planet