Carbon Sequestration

Carbon Sequestration

• Carbon dioxide is the most commonly produced greenhouse gas. Around 45 % of the CO₂ emitted by humans remains in the atmosphere, which is a significant factor behind global warming.

• Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing, securing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂) Capture and Storage (CCS) is the idea to capture the CO₂ from industrial processes like coal plants and then store it in deep geological formations.

• Carbon sequestration is one method of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal of reducing global climate change.

• The idea is to stabilize carbon in solid and dissolved forms so that it doesn’t cause the atmosphere to warm. The process shows tremendous promise for reducing the human carbon footprint.

• Carbon sequestration is key method for removing carbon from the earth’s atmosphere.

• There are two main types of carbon sequestration :

1. Biological carbon sequestration and

2. Geological carbon sequestration

1. Biological Sequestration

• Biological carbon sequestration happens when carbon is stored in the natural environment. This includes what are known as carbon sinks, such as forests, grasslands, soil, oceans and other bodies of water. This is also known as an indirect or passive form of sequestration.

1. Forests

• Forests and woodlands are considered one of the best forms of natural carbon sequestration. CO₂ binds to plants during photosynthesis, exchanging it for oxygen as a purifying emission.

• On average, forests store twice as much carbon as they emit, while an estimated 25 % of global carbon emissions are sequestered alongside forests in other vegetative forms, such as grasslands or rangelands (fields, prairies, shrub lands etc.).

• Protecting such natural environments is therefore crucial to ensuring carbon sinks capture CO₂ effectively. Deforestation poses the biggest threat to this natural process, as does construction or intensive agriculture.

2. Soil

• Through bogs, peat and swamps, carbon can be captured and stored as carbonates. These carbonates build up over thousands of years as CO₂ mixes with other mineral elements, such as calcium or magnesium.

• Eventually, carbon is released from the earth, but not for a very long time - after more than 70,000 years in some cases.

3. Oceans

• Aquatic environments and large bodies of water are also great absorbers of CO₂ They absorb another estimated 25 % of emitted CO₂ from the earth’s atmosphere. This carbon is mostly held in the upper layers of the oceans.

• Too much carbon can acidify the water, posing a threat to the biodiversity that exists below - yet another reason to decarbonise our atmosphere.

2. Geological Carbon Sequestration

• Geological carbon sequestration happens when carbon is stored in places such as underground geological formations or rocks. This process is largely artificial or direct, representing an effective way of neutralising emissions put into human practices, such as manufacturing or construction.

• It’s also largely technological as a result, with recent innovations showing carbon being sequestered more effectively on larger scales. They include :

1. Graphene production : The production of graphene requires CO₂ as a raw material. Although limited to certain industries, it’s used heavily in the production of the tech devices we use on a day-to-day basis, such smartphones or computer processors.

2. Engineered molecules : A fairly new science, scientists can change the shape of molecules to form new compounds by capturing carbon from the air. In practice, this could present an efficient way of creating raw materials while reducing atmospheric carbon.

3. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) : CCS involves capturing carbon dioxide that’s been produced by power generation or industrial activity, such as cement or steel-making. This CO-, is then compressed and transported to deep underground facilities, where it’s injected into rock formations for permanent storage.