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10 - Natural Climate Solutions

from Section III - Carbon Dioxide Removal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2022

Wake Smith
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
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Summary

This initial chapter in the carbon removal section focuses on several of the more tangential possible solutions, each of which may form a wedge in a portfolio of carbon removal solutions but will by no means constitute the primary intervention. After touching upon the Gaia hypothesis, we move to everyone’s favorite climate solution – trees. Though afforestation/reforestation appear superficially attractive and cheap, they are merely a fragile and temporary bank of carbon with a storage capacity that is woefully subscale for our problem. Bio energy with carbon capture and sequestration would ameliorate the land saturation problem that limits the capacity of forests, but is also far less green than it appears and confronts similar scaling constraints. Regenerative agriculture, blue carbon, biochar, and other soil carbon enhancement techniques are further wedges in the portfolio, but each with substantial scaling limitations. Enhanced chemical weathering faces cost problems, and ocean iron fertilization is more nearly pollution than a climate solution. While some of these techniques will prove relevant, none promises climate salvation.

Type
Chapter
Information
Pandora's Toolbox
The Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention
, pp. 151 - 170
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • Natural Climate Solutions
  • Wake Smith, Harvard University, Massachusetts
  • Book: Pandora's Toolbox
  • Online publication: 24 February 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008877.010
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  • Natural Climate Solutions
  • Wake Smith, Harvard University, Massachusetts
  • Book: Pandora's Toolbox
  • Online publication: 24 February 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008877.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Natural Climate Solutions
  • Wake Smith, Harvard University, Massachusetts
  • Book: Pandora's Toolbox
  • Online publication: 24 February 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008877.010
Available formats
×