CO₂-removal News

Nyawira et al. (2024): Pantropical CO2 emissions and removals for the AFOLU sector in the period 1990–2018

Sylvia S. Nyawira, Martin Herold, Kalkidan Ayele Mulatu, Rosa Maria Roman-Cuesta, Richard A. Houghton, Giacomo Grassi, Julia Pongratz, Thomas Gasser, Louis Verchot IN: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-023-10096-z

Here, the authors present a comparative analysis of the agriculture forestry and other land use (AFOLU) emission estimates from different datasets, including National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs), FAOSTAT, the BLUE, OSCAR, and Houghton (here after updated H&N2017) bookkeeping models; Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR); and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They disaggregate the fluxes for the forestry and other land use (FOLU) sector into forest land, deforestation, and other land uses (including non-forest land uses), while agricultural emissions are disaggregated according to the sources (i.e., livestock, croplands, rice cultivation, and agricultural fires). Considering different time periods (1990–1999, 2000–2010, and 2011–2018), they analyse the trend of the fluxes with a key focus on the tropical regions (i.e., Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia). 

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Weiler et al. (2024): Using mining waste for CO2 sequestration: exploring opportunities through mineral carbonation, nature-based solutions, and CCUS

Jéssica Weiler, Colombo Celso Gaeta Tassinari, Thiago Fernandes De Aquino, Beatriz Bonetti, Vanessa Olivo Viola IN:
International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment, https://doi.org/10.1080/17480930.2024.2318132

Using mining waste for CO2 sequestration presents a promising solution for managing waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of established CO2 sequestration methods that can be applied to mining waste eligible for such application. Three techniques were considered: 1) passive mineral carbonation; 2) a nature-based solution (NBS); and 3) carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).

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Deep-ocean seaweed dumping for carbon sequestration: Questionable, risky, and not the best use of valuable biomass

by Thierry Chopin, Barry A. Costa-Pierce, Max Troell, Catriona L. Hurd, Mark John Costello, Steven Backman, Alejandro H. Buschmann, Russell Cuhel, Carlos M. Duarte, Fredrik Gröndahl, Kevin Heasman, Ricardo J. Haroun, Johan Johansen, Alexander Jueterbock, Mitchell Lench, Scott Lindell, Henrik Pavia, Aurora M. Ricart, Kristina S. Sundell, Charles Yarish, One Earth, February 08, 2024

„Deep-ocean seaweed dumping is not an ecological, economical, or ethical answer to climate-change mitigation via carbon “sequestration.” Without sound science and sufficient knowledge on impacts to these fragile ecosystems, it distracts from more rational and effective blue-carbon interventions. We call for a moratorium on sinking seaweeds to deep-ocean ecosystems until its efficacy is established, and there is robust, evidence-based assessment of its environmental, economic, and societal sustainability.“

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Brown et al. (2024): Net carbon sequestration implications of intensified timber harvest in Northeastern U.S. forests

Michelle L. Brown, Charles D. Canham, Thomas Buchholz, John S. Gunn, Therese M. Donovan IN: Ecosphere, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4758

U.S. forests, particularly in the eastern states, provide an important offset to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some have proposed that forest-based natural climate solutions can be strengthened via a number of strategies, including increases in the production of forest biomass energy. The authors used output from a forest dynamics model (SORTIE-ND) in combination with a GHG accounting tool (ForGATE) to estimate the carbon consequences of current and intensified timber harvest regimes in the Northeastern United States. They considered a range of carbon pools including forest ecosystem pools, forest product pools, and waste pools, along with different scenarios of feedstock production for biomass energy. 

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Guo et al. (2024): Sorption enhanced steam reforming of biomass-based feedstocks: Towards sustainable hydrogen evolution

Shifang Guo, Yanzi Zhang, Lina Liu IN: Chemical Engineering Journal, 485, 149760, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.149760

Biomass, as a renewable energy source with zero carbon emissions, has the potential to replace traditional fossil fuels for hydrogen production, addressing environmental issues associated with burning fossil fuels. Among the various biomass fuel production techniques, steam reforming of biomass-based feedstocks efficiently produces hydrogen-containing gas. Nonetheless, this process does suffer from low gas calorific value and elevated CO2 content. Consequently, a combination of sorption-enhanced and steam reforming technologies becomes crucial to maximize the use of biomass feedstocks for the production of hydrogen while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. This paper provides an overview of recent research advancements in the sorption-enhanced steam reforming of biomass-derived feedstocks.

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Price et al. (2024): Biochar carbon markets: A mitigation deterrence threat

Catherine Price, John Morris, Carol Morris IN: Environmental Science & Policy, 154, 103704, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103704

This article aims to add to the emerging empirical mitigation deterrence literature by drawing on ongoing research into a particular form of greenhouse gas removal technology – biochar – and associated biochar carbon markets. As such, the aim of this paper is to explore whether the UK carbon market for biochar, in practice is likely to contribute to delays in emissions reduction. In other words, the authors explore whether UK biochar carbon markets are (likely to be) as much of a problem for mitigation deterrence as imagined or envisaged within the mitigation deterrence literature. They draw from original data collected in 2022 from 33 semi-structured interviews with mostly UK based experts who have an interest or potential interest in biochar, supplemented with a document analysis.

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Chen et al. (2024): Transition from positive to negative indirect CO2 effects on the vegetation carbon uptake

Zefeng Chen, Weiguang Wang, Giovanni Forzieri, Alessandro Cescatti IN: Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45957-x

Here the auhtors investigate how the impacts of eCO2-driven climate change on growing-season gross primary production have changed globally during 1982–2014, using satellite observations and Earth system models, and evaluate their evolution until the year 2100. They show that the initial positive effect of eCO2-induced climate change on vegetation carbon uptake has declined recently, shifting to negative in the early 21st century. 

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Yong et al. (2024): Multiscale Upscaling Study for CO2 Storage in Carbonate Rocks Using Machine Learning and Multiscale Imaging

Wen Pin Yong, Hannah Menke, Julien Maes, Sebastian Geiger, Zainol Affendi Abu Bakar, Helen Lewis, Jim Buckman, Anne Bonnin, Kamaljit Singh IN: Offshore Technology Conference Asia, https://doi.org/10.4043/34892-MS

In this study, targeted CO2 storage carbonate fields in Southeast Asia have significant amounts of microporosity ranging from 10 to 60% of the total measured porosity. Microporosity can only be seen in high resolution images. To study the unresolved and the resolved microporosity, Middle Miocene carbonate samples from CO2 storage candidate fields were scanned using lower resolution micro-computed micro-tomography (micro-CT) and higher resolution synchrotron light source to understand the pore scale structure of the carbonate sample at different length scales. This paper proposes a proof-of-concept upscaling method that integrates multiscale 3D imaging techniques and trendline analysis to establish porosity-permeability relationships with microporosity insight.

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Abdalqadir et al. (2024): A state of the art of review on factors affecting the enhanced weathering in agricultural soil: strategies for carbon sequestration and climate mitigation

Mardin Abdalqadir, David Hughes, Sina Rezaei Gomari, Ubaid Rafiq IN: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-32498-5

Enhanced weathering represents an approach by leveraging the natural process of rock weathering to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide in agricultural lands. This review synthesizes current research on EW, focusing on its mechanisms, influencing factors, and pathways for successful integration into agricultural practices.

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Singh et al. (2024): Carbon farming: a circular framework to augment CO2 sinks and to combat climate change

Shalini Singh, Boda Ravi Kiran, S. Venkata Mohan IN: Environmental Science Advances, https://doi.org/10.1039/D3VA00296A

Confronting climate change and meeting the 1.5 °C target set by the Conference of Parties requires the implementation of long-term carbon-sink measures. Carbon farming is a scalable, cost-effective, and efficient approach to achieving negative emissions that aligns with the larger goals of sustainability and climate resilience.

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