The Schmidt Family Foundation Gives Two Grants for Climate Change Research

Since 1958, researchers have been measuring carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere that is represented in a graph called the Keeling Curve. Maintained by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, they will be receiving a $1 million grant from Schmidt Futures to continue the research. The Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) also awarded another $450,000 grant to support research associated with ocean acidification in the Pacific and Atlantic.

The graph has kept track of how global warming has gotten worse in the past few decades. The Keeling Curve measurements are continuously recorded at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.

Wendy Schmidt of the foundation shared how global warming is no longer a future problem but is our current reality. Supporting the Keeling Curve is essential in keeping track of climate change so that the data can help with necessary policy decisions.

Moreover, global warming is impacted by anthropogenic activity which negatively affects entire ecosystems. "It's also clear that as we change our behavior, we can dramatically improve air quality," said Schmidt.

Maintaining the Keeling Curve

Charles D. Keeling, who started the graph, has been measuring greenhouse gas emissions in ten stations all over the world. The data were the first records of how the use of fossil fuels was affecting the atmosphere's chemistry.

Scientist Stuart Feldman from Schmidt Futures said that the consistent measurements are the best baseline data of atmospheric changes. Results enable experts to analyze long-term trends and are definitive proof of climate change.

The value of the curve has increased over time, revealing processes on Earth that would have been difficult to record during shorter periods or with sporadic measurements. Ralph Keeling, Charles' son and current CO2 Group director said that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere "is an important bottom line for the climate problem."

The Schmidt Family Foundation has been supporting the Keeling Curve since 2014 after national funding ended. The continuous work of researchers has enabled them to educate the public about the major role that atmospheric carbon dioxide plays in global warming. The current grant will enable scientists to work until the end of 2025.

Measuring Ocean Acidification

Meanwhile, the SOI grant will focus on water samples in the Atlantic and Pacific to keep track of acidification, a chemical reaction that occurs when the oceans absorb high levels of carbon dioxide. Significant acidification studies began in 1988 under marine chemist Andrew Dickson at Scripps Oceanography.

Measuring acidification is necessary to understand how the ocean is responding to atmospheric changes and to find solutions to protect marine life, said Dr. Jyotika Virmani from SOI. In response to acidification, coral and plankton struggle to form shells and skeletons while existing shells made of calcium carbonate gradually dissolve.

Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, ocean acidification has increased by 30%. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acidification may increase by 150% by the year 2100 if current carbon dioxide emission trends continue.