Carbon Dioxide

Is Biochar a miracle material?

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It certainly sounds it. The creation process generates more heat than it uses- meaning manufacture could be self sustaining, or used as energy generation. Once made, it acts as a form of carbon capture, putting it back into the ground. And once in the ground, it can aid water retention, improve soil structure, and aid access to nutrients.

There are some potential issues, mainly around the possibility of contamination depending upon the feed stock, but this sounds like a technology we should all be thinking about.

https://theconversation.com/biochar-doesnt-just-store-carbon-it-stores-water-and-boosts-farmers-drought-resilience-235765

Carbon Removal Credits to fight climate change

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As the article says, it’s not enough to stop pumping out carbon dioxide, there need to be schemes for soaking it up and locking it away again. I’m filling my concrete covered back yard with plants as my bit, but industry has the options for larger and more complex schemes.

https://www.wired.com/story/carbon-removal-cur8-gabrielle-walker-credits-offsets-greenwashing/

Climate change: New idea for sucking up CO2 from air shows promise

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As one of the scientists quoted in the report points out, we need to focus on reducing emissions. There’s no point creating technology to take carbon dioxide out of the air if equal or greater amounts are being pumped into it. Once we’ve deployed enough renewables and energy saving measures, then we can think about reversing the damage that’s already been done.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-64886116?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Energy independence begins at home

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Gordon Brown has announced a £100billion renewable energy plan. The Daily Mail and its readers have reacted as you’d expect, ignoring the boost to the economy from all the jobs created and the opportunities through grants to go energy independent.

So, those of you who can, I’d recommend stealing a jump on the whingers and using their tax money to go off grid. When I researched grants for solar panels last month I found that the existing scheme had been phased out, which was annoying. I’m now willing to give Brown the benefit of the doubt and hope this was because they were gearing up to a new and improved scheme. It isn’t easy. I’m not as obnoxiously and knee-jerkingly anti Brown/New Labour as the Mail’s readers, but past performance does mark the Government as untrustworthy.

The schemes for householders will be announced later this Summer. I’ll be looking out for them and will try to do some number crunching on them when they arrive.

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CO2 scrubbers, a step toward a technological fix

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A team of Arizona based scientists believe they are close to building CO2 “scrubbers”. These will collect the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere using plastic membranes that could later release the gas into greenhouses or other more permanent traps. They’re not the solution, millions would be needed to soak up current production levels and I doubt they’ll be cheaper than most of the methods used to reduce emissions at source, but they could be deployed as part of a clean up campaign.

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Environmental news round up

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Trees absorb less carbon dioxide as the world warms up.

The ability of forests to soak up man-made carbon dioxide is weakening, according to an analysis of two decades of data from more than 30 sites in the frozen north.

Oil price hits $100 per barrel for the first time.

German cities ban the most polluting cars.

Solar school in Trafford.

A School in Trafford is about to become one of the country’s ‘greenest’ when solar panels are installed on its roof as part of a renewable energy drive.

Sale Grammar School is being given the panels, which are worth about £20,000, by the Co-operative Group.

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Organic farming cuts greenhouse gases

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A 27 year comparative study has concluded that organic farming methods such as no-till sowing and growing winter cover can see soil retain 30% more carbon than ploughing and chemical use. Not only do these methods sequester carbon in a cheap and simple way, they can produce as much, or more, food as “intensive” farming methods.

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