From 3f1aedea3b4c52374ed435d8bf341a72f285394a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: sebastianschae Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2025 06:50:33 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add 'Desert 'carbon Farming' To Curb CO2' --- Desert-%27carbon-Farming%27-To-Curb-CO2.md | 44 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 44 insertions(+) create mode 100644 Desert-%27carbon-Farming%27-To-Curb-CO2.md diff --git a/Desert-%27carbon-Farming%27-To-Curb-CO2.md b/Desert-%27carbon-Farming%27-To-Curb-CO2.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..65379a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/Desert-%27carbon-Farming%27-To-Curb-CO2.md @@ -0,0 +1,44 @@ +
Desert 'carbon farming' to suppress CO2
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1 August 2013
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By Matt McGrath
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Environment reporter, BBC News
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Scientists say that planting large numbers of jatropha trees in desert locations might be an efficient way of suppressing emissions of CO2.
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Dubbed "carbon farming", researchers state the idea is economically competitive with modern carbon capture and storage tasks.
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But critics state the idea could be have unexpected, unfavorable effects consisting of driving up food costs.
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The research has been released, external in the journal Earth System Dynamics.
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Seeds of change
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Jatropha curcas is a plant that came from in Central America and is effectively adjusted to harsh conditions including very dry deserts.
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It is currently grown as a biofuel, external in some parts of the world because its seeds can produce oil.
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In this study, German researchers showed that one hectare of jatropha could catch approximately 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the environment every year. The researchers based their estimates on trees currently growing in trial plots in Egypt and in the Negev desert.
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"The outcomes are overwhelming," said Prof Klaus Becker, from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart.
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"There was excellent growth, a good reaction from these plants. I feel there will be no problem attempting it on a much larger scale, for instance 10 thousand hectares in the beginning," he stated.
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According to the researchers a plantation that would cover 3 percent of the Arabian desert would absorb all the CO2 produced by cars and trucks and trucks in Germany over a 20 year period.
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The researchers say that a crucial element of the strategy would be the accessibility of desalination centers. This indicates that initially, any plantations would be confined to coastal locations.
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They are wanting to develop bigger trials in desert areas of Oman or Qatar. Prof Becker says that unlike other plans that simply balance out the carbon that people produce, the planting of jatropha might be a great, short-term solution to environment modification.
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"I believe it is an excellent concept due to the fact that we are really extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - and it is totally different between extracting and avoiding."
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According to the researcher's calculations the expenses of curbing carbon dioxide through the planting of trees would be in between 42 and 63 euros per tonne. This makes it competitive with other techniques, such as the more high tech carbon capture and storage, external (CCS).
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A variety of countries are presently trialling this innovation, external however it has yet to be deployed commercially.
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Growing jatropha not only takes in CO2 however has other benefits. The plants would help to make desert areas more habitable, and the plant's seeds can be collected for biofuel state the researchers, providing an economic return.
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"Jatropha is ideal to be developed into biokerosene - it is even better than biodiesel," said Prof Becker.
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But other professionals in this area are not convinced. They point to the fact that in 2007 and 2008 large numbers of jatropha trees were planted for biofuel, especially in Africa. But a lot of these endeavors ended in tears,, external as the plants were not very effective in coping with dry conditions.
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Lucy Hurn is the biofuels for the charity, Actionaid. She says that while jatropha was when viewed as the terrific, green hope the truth was really various.
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"When jatropha was presented it was viewed as a wonder crop, it would grow on scrubland or limited land," she said.
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"But there are frequently individuals who require limited land to graze their animals, they are getting food from that area - we would not class the land as minimal."
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She mentioned that jatropha is extremely toxic and can contaminate the land it is grown on, even in a desert. And she likewise had issues about the fairness of the concept.
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"It is still somebody else's land. Why enter and grow these enormous plantations to deal with a problem these individuals didn't actually trigger?"
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Follow Matt on Twitter, external.
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More on this story
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'Carpets of seaweed' grown for fuel. Video, 00:03:05'Carpets of seaweed' grown for fuel
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1 July 2013
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Biofuels are 'unreasonable technique'
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Published
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15 April 2013
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Related web links
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Universität Hohenheim
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European Geosciences Union
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