We’re All in This Together
Carbon Dioxide Removal
By Tom Berry
Until recently, to tackle the climate emergency most of the attention has focused on curtailing carbon emissions. Without doubt, sharply reducing the amount of CO2 humans pump into the atmosphere is essential if we are to begin putting carbon back into balance. However, even if excess emissions were to cease, the problem would only be half-solved. The quantity of atmospheric “legacy” carbon that has been accumulating since the Industrial Revolution would keep us on a path of climate instability – with continuing extreme weather-related events that are becoming all too familiar.
Despite modest progress in reducing emissions by some EU countries (and to a lesser degree by the US), global atmospheric CO2 has actually increased. As a result, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has begun explicitly stating that removing carbon from the atmosphere will be necessary if we are to limit global temperature increases to a level where we might avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Developments in Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
To this end, increasing investment has begun flowing to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) efforts around the globe. High-tech firms like Climeworks, Global Thermostat, Carbfix (and others) are prominent recipients of this support. These companies are working to scale their systems that essentially use huge fans to pull vast quantities of air through complex filtering processes where the CO2 is extracted. The carbon can then be stored underground or used in various products.
As encouraging as developments in this sector are, current operations are only just beginning to engage with this monumental problem. It’s estimated that there’s currently about 1 trillion tons of human-made “legacy” carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet, capacities for high-tech CDR currently stand at around 10,000 tons per year.
Nature-Based CDR
While these systems continue to ramp up, there are nature-based methods of CDR that deserve much more attention and support for two reasons:
- These methods – when employed at scale – would provide a critical stopgap that could slow climate change and thereby provide more time for high-tech systems to expand to effective capabilities.
- Unlike high-tech systems, nature-based methods would offer a number of co-benefits including restoration of ecosystems and enhanced biodiversity. Also, these would continue to operate as significant elements of the necessary multi-pronged approach in dealing with this colossal challenge.
Generally speaking, natured-based methods for CDR include strategically restorative practices involving forests, agriculture, wetlands, and the ocean.
For detailed information regarding these areas, check out these example sites:
- https://forestadaptation.org/focus/forest-carbon-management
- https://eos.org/editors-vox/managing-wetlands-to-improve-carbon-sequestration
- https://easac.eu/news/details/regenerative-agriculture-healthy-soil-best-bet-for-carbon-storage
- https://www.climatefoundation.org/
The task is daunting but success is possible with determined collective effort – and one of these approaches could use your help. Remember: Action is the Antidote to Despair.
Tom Berry is a retired speech-language pathologist and 30-year resident of Kennebunk.
