There is a huge discussion related to climate change on how to achieve carbon neutrality (= basically no emissions of CO2), or even a carbon negative scenarios within human activities.
The problem can be handled ex-post, meaning we produce the CO2, but then we have processes to remove it. This a feasible way, but probably the worst in terms of sustainability, as we will have to do additional steps and processes (which also produces carbon to maintain, needs energy and space), to remove the carbon back from atmosphere.
Then, we have the clean technology approach (like using hydrogen and low carbon technologies), to maintain our civilization.
But still, even in the sustainable way, we are forgetting, that the nature has it’s own balance mechanisms, how to handle the carbon. And we can support them.
The biggest one I think, is storing the carbon into soil. This happens every year, when the nature has the space to do what it naturally does. If we understand this process (which is not hard to understand at all), we will not only store more carbon, than any factory would be capable of, but we will support this nature’s balance mechanisms, preserve the biodiversity and the sustainable life on this planet as we know it.
As we are running out of time to prevent climate changes, as a start, we can boost the soil with additives, which locks down more carbon in it.
“Results from our studies show a 7-17% soil carbon increase over a season. If you extrapolate out to the 1.8 billion hectares that we crop each year, you would be looking at about 8 gigatons of CO2 equivalent being drawn down,” Hudson claims. Going by IEA stats for 2019, that would equate to just under 25% of the 33 gigatons of CO2 emitted globally that year.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2020/10/14/the-amazing-secret-to-cutting-25-of-carbon-could-be-under-your-feet/?sh=38c6752d41ea
But the most potential can be unlocked, when we understand, how we can support the nature of doing it naturally. For that topic, I’ll leave explanation to videos below or you can read more about regenerative ecosystem management:
The global technical potential of terrestrial C sequestration is some 333 Pg C (367.1 × 109 tn C) by the end of the twenty-first century, equivalent to atmospheric CO2 drawdown of 156 ppm. This must be considered objectively by policymakers and those at all levels of planning and management.
https://www.jswconline.org/content/73/6/145A
TED: A climate change solution that’s right under our feet
Soil4Climate: How much drawdown of carbon dioxide into soil is possible, in the world?
We have estimated, along with many other colleagues, the possibility is about 150 to 160 gigatons of carbon cumulative until 2100. So, between now and 2100, maybe about 160 gigatons, which is approximately 75 to 80 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 (carbon dioxide) drawdown. Now, this includes all soils, including degraded soils, desertified soils, and so forth.
But, even if we take the recent estimates of how much carbon has been depleted from the soils of the world, and that means we can replace that much back, that’s about 135 gigatons. So, the estimate of the world soil sink capacity for carbon between now and 2100, for the next 80 years, is somewhere between 130 to 150 gigatons of carbon, which is a very sizable amount.
If you combine this with also what can be sequestered in the vegetation, that’s another 150 to 160 gigatons. So total, put together, we have a possibility of putting carbon in the terrestrial biosphere, soil and vegetation, about 320 gigatonnes of carbon, which is equal to about 150 to 160 parts per million CO2 drawdown from the atmosphere.
This is a great opportunity. Not only that, it’s a natural process, it’s also cost-effective, and it has many co-benefits.
Therefore, it’s very important that we support the activity of the (United Nation’s) Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and other initiatives that have been started throughout the world including (France’s) 4-per-1000 and AAA (Adaptation of African Agriculture).
Dr. Rattan Lal, Soil4Climate: How much drawdown of carbon dioxide into soil is possible, in the world.
Game Changer 