REP LIEU SECURES $2 MILLION FOR UCLA CLIMATE RESEARCH PROJECT IN APPROPRIATIONS BILL

July 5, 2022

Press Release

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) announced that the $2 million in federal funding he requested for a University of California (UCLA) climate research project has been included in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill that will be brought up for a vote in the House in the coming weeks. The project focuses on removing carbon dioxide from the ocean to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere and fight climate change.

Last year, Congressman Lieu secured $592,000 for UCLA's Mobile Healthcare Program.

"I'm pleased to once again request funding for UCLA in this year's appropriations process. UCLA is an excellent, forward-thinking institution at the forefront of many critical research areas, including climate change. Reducing carbon in our atmosphere plays a key role in the fight against climate change, and UCLA's innovative SeaChange project focuses on just that. I came to Congress to fight for bold action on the climate crisis, both on the federal and local levels. I'm proud of California's leadership on climate issues and pleased to see critical research being carried out right at home in my district. Securing funding to support this program is a top priority."

$2,000,000 for SeaChange Carbon Sequestration Demonstration: Carbon capture technology is a key component to reducing greenhouse gasses and addressing climate change. The funding for this project will enable UCLA to pilot a streamlined carbon sequestration and storage system that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and safely stores it at scale. The technology uses a flow reactor, which runs seawater through electrically charged mesh that then lowers the acidity of the water and causes the carbon dioxide in the water to combine with calcium and magnesium to create minerals. Through this process, seawater is drained of carbon dioxide so it can then clean the atmosphere by absorbing more carbon dioxide. The process also creates hydrogen, which can be used as a clean fuel.

Background:

Last year, in Fiscal Year 2022, Congressman Lieu secured nearly $11 million in federal funding for local projects in Los Angeles County. The projects address homelessness, protect our environment, support our veterans, and more. The UCLA SeaChange project is one of 15 community projects for which Congressman Lieu has requested funding in Fiscal Year 2023.