Reducing isn't Enough - We Need to Actively Remove Carbon From the Atmosphere
Meera BluePrint 09.17.2020
"When the U.N. climate organization IPCC calculated various scenarios for how to keep the planet from warming more than two degrees, almost all of them required a substantial dose of “negative emissions.”
Carbon farming to the rescue!
It is now clear to us, if it wasn't before, that we are behind on climate change. So much so that striving to reduce your carbon footprint and aiming to be carbon neutral, isn't enough anymore. We need to actively start taking carbon out of the air.
Pete Smith, a soil scientist at the University of Aberdeen, and James Hansen, an influential climate scientist argue that "land-management practices are one of the few affordable options available today for drawing down carbon" and add"What’s surprising to me is that we’ve not done it sooner”.
Introducing the star of the show - Carbon Farming
Carbon farming is a broad set of agricultural practices across a variety of farm types that result in increased storage of atmospheric carbon in the soil. The idea behind carbon farming is to fundamentally change the way we treat our land. Carbon is naturally removed from the atmosphere by plants during the "carbon cycle". Carbon farming seeks to interfere with the cycle by slowing the release of carbon back into the air, instead, carbon is being stored in the soil and plant itself.
This process of course has its fair share of pros & cons. Carbon is very mobile so measuring the amount of carbon off-put is still tricky while there is research suggesting this practice increases soil health. Even though the technology is young we believe the economic incentive is starting to increase. Large corporations and governments are looking to offset their carbon footprints and even debt. Carbon farming (extraction) could generate carbon credits that could then be sold.
This is a developing industry but a dynamic one. Blockchain, 5G, IoT, software, environmental science, and more will all have to come together to effectively remove and sell carbon.
If you or a friend work in the industry, please reach out! We would love to speak with you!
Learn Something
New York Times Magazine - Can Dirt Save the Earth
Fast Company - This “carbon removal marketplace” will make buying offsets easier