Satterfield et al. (2026): Thinking at the megaton scale: Community reflections across three different marine carbon-dioxide removal strategies
Terre Satterfield, Sara Nawaz, Devin Todd, Kendra Jewell, Pieter Romer, IN: Energy Research & Social Science, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2026.104628
Investigations of marine carbon dioxide removal are unfolding rapidly as countries seek net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. A key priority for interdisciplinary research is public engagement in system design, social conditions, and acceptance. Social scientists warn that ‘large-scale’ proliferation—at megaton or gigaton levels—raises distinct challenges. Yet most work examining CDR has relied on simplified descriptions with little attention to scale. This study examines public reflections on three depictions of marine CDR deployed at ‘scale’ in British Columbia, Canada. Scaled descriptions included material, transportation, and energy needs, along with spatial requirements for generating 2MT of annual removals for each of three technologies: (1) ocean alkalinity enhancement; (2) direct air capture of CO₂, with sub-seabed mineralization for storage; and (3) macroalgae cultivation and sinking.