Carbon sequestration is the practice of removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, and is one of many approaches to combating climate change. Learn why this method is used and the different methods of carbon removal and storage. Preventing further warming of the Earth's atmosphere will require significant human cooperation.

Every possible solution, from ending our reliance on carbon-emitting fuels to setting net-zero emissions targets by 2050, is critical to halting unprecedented climate change.

In addition to transitioning to clean energy systems and decarbonizing high-emission practices such as construction and transportation, humans are also removing carbon from the atmosphere by changing the way we generate, consume, move, and generate electricity.

We are making a concerted effort to.

But methods like carbon sequestration show how we can work with the natural environment to tackle the climate crisis.

45% of Carbon Dioxide Stays in the atmosphere, the rest is sequestered naturally by the enviornment.

Types of Carbon Sequestration

There are four types of carbon sequestration that can be used to collect carbon.

However, in practice, biological carbon sequestration and geological carbon sequestration are mainly used.

1. Biological carbon sequestration:

This refers to carbon dioxide stored in soil, oceans, and vegetation. The ocean absorbs 25% of human-emitted CO2 each year. Grasslands and other vegetation absorb 25% of global carbon emissions, releasing carbon when leaves and trees decay. Grasslands are better than forests at storing carbon due to frequent wildfires.

2. Geological carbon sequestration:

This involves storing CO2 in underground rock formations and other geological structures. It is emitted from energy-related sources like power plants and natural gas processing plants, or from industrial sources like steel and cement production companies. CO2 is injected into rocks for long-term storage, allowing continued use of fossil fuels until alternative energy sources are widespread.

3. Technological Carbon Sequestration:

Scientists are investigating other ways to use carbon dioxide as a resource rather than removing it from the atmosphere and sending it elsewhere. Carbon dioxide is used as a raw material for the technical production of graphene. Scientists are developing new compounds that can identify and capture carbon dioxide from the air. Direct air capture (DAC) is a state-of-the-art method for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The cost per ton of carbon removed is projected to be between $500 and $800.

4. Industrial Carbon Sequestration:

This less known approach extracts carbon from power plants in three ways: oxyfuel, post-combustion, and pre-combustion. Pre-combustion processes capture carbon before fuel combustion. Coal requires carbon removal prior to burning. Oxygen and coal react to form syngas: a mix of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas. Hydrogen is separated, and water is added to carbon monoxide to produce and store carbon dioxide. Post-combustion eliminates carbon from power plant emissions, preventing accumulation of exhaust gas and carbon dioxide.

Mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses are known as "blue carbon" ecosystems. Despite covering only 0.2% of the ocean floor, they sequester about 50% of the carbon buried in ocean sediment.

The Carbon Cycle:

The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon dioxide is expelled into the atmosphere and then reabsorbed by the planet. Through respiration, combustion, breakdown, and photosynthesis, carbon is both stored and released.

Human activity is creating too much carbon and storing too little of it, which is the issue. The average atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide reached a new high of 412.5 parts per million in 2020. Compared to 2000, that is 12% more. Additionally, it is the cause of climate change, as greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, are rising.

The United States released 4.57 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020. Transit was the main source of pollution. Sequestering carbon is one way to combat those increasing emissions.

Benefits of Carbon Sequestration:

Planting trees and managing their development is a proven way to reduce the number of harmful particles in the air. Stored carbon is carbon that is not released into the atmosphere.

Reducing carbon in the atmosphere reduces the impact of greenhouse gases and mitigates the effects of climate change

Drawbacks of Carbon Sequestration:

• Carbon dioxide can be stored deep underground. Hydrostatic pressure maintains the liquid state at depth. Flaws in reservoir design, cracks in rocks, and tectonic movements can release stored gas into the ocean or atmosphere.

• The Committee on Climate Change estimates that using this technology would increase costs by 1 to 5 cents per kilowatt hour. If the use of CCS technology were mandated by law, the economic cost of modern coal technology would almost double. The cost of CCS technology varies depending on the type of capture technology used and where it is implemented. However, implementing CCS capture tends to increase costs. The research conducted predicted that while these costs could potentially be reduced with new technology, they would remain slightly higher than the price without CCS technology.

Methods of Carbon Sequestration:

Natural Carbon Sequestration:

Natural carbon sequestration is the process by which nature has balanced the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere to a level appropriate for life support.

At night, carbon dioxide is released by both plants and animals. As carbon sinks or sponges, the earth, seas, vegetation, and even animals themselves are all involved.

Since carbon is the building block of all organic life on Earth, when plants and animals die, a significant amount of that carbon returns to the ground, where it has no impact on the process of global warming.

Artificial Carbon Sequestration:

The term "artificial carbon sequestration" refers to a range of techniques for absorbing carbon emissions at their source, such as manufacturing chimneys, then burying them afterwards.

Ocean sequestration is one method that has been proposed; it entails pumping carbon dioxide deep into the ocean to form CO2 lakes. The pressure and temperature of the surrounding water should theoretically keep the CO2 well below the surface, where it can gradually dissolve into the water.

Another instance is the process of geological sequestration, which involves injecting carbon dioxide into inaccessible subterranean locations such as old oil deposits, coal seams, and aquifers.

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