Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is problematic because it is also taking away the oxygen. The oxygen MUST go back to the atmosphere, since we are killing off oxygen-producers everywhere. But if you try separating CO2 into carbon and oxygen, the laws of thermodynamics will still apply and more input energy will be required than you obtained when first burning your “fuels.” Plus, of course, entropy.
The fallacy of planting trees- A trillion trees would be very many forests. A forest is an ecological climax community, being the end-point of ecological succession of many species involved in soil and biodiversity development in that region. Often, a successful climax tree species will have found its root pathways to follow the dead and rotting root paths of an historical predecessor which also followed the old roots of a yet previous occupier of that spot; each tree generation making a bit more progress in working its root deeper into the soil. Just sticking a tree into bare ground does not a forest make.
As for direct CO2 capture, recent work has shown that recovery from water is more efficient than recovery from air.
Yet, we are still running about 2500 coal plants on this planet with hundreds more in planning. What’s wrong with this picture?
Thank you for posting this important article.
Several points to note:
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is problematic because it is also taking away the oxygen. The oxygen MUST go back to the atmosphere, since we are killing off oxygen-producers everywhere. But if you try separating CO2 into carbon and oxygen, the laws of thermodynamics will still apply and more input energy will be required than you obtained when first burning your “fuels.” Plus, of course, entropy.
The fallacy of planting trees- A trillion trees would be very many forests. A forest is an ecological climax community, being the end-point of ecological succession of many species involved in soil and biodiversity development in that region. Often, a successful climax tree species will have found its root pathways to follow the dead and rotting root paths of an historical predecessor which also followed the old roots of a yet previous occupier of that spot; each tree generation making a bit more progress in working its root deeper into the soil. Just sticking a tree into bare ground does not a forest make.
As for direct CO2 capture, recent work has shown that recovery from water is more efficient than recovery from air.
Yet, we are still running about 2500 coal plants on this planet with hundreds more in planning. What’s wrong with this picture?