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Potential for large-scale CO 2 removal via enhanced rock weathering with croplands.
- Source :
-
Nature [Nature] 2020 Jul; Vol. 583 (7815), pp. 242-248. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jul 08. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Enhanced silicate rock weathering (ERW), deployable with croplands, has potential use for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO <subscript>2</subscript> ) removal (CDR), which is now necessary to mitigate anthropogenic climate change <superscript>1</superscript> . ERW also has possible co-benefits for improved food and soil security, and reduced ocean acidification <superscript>2-4</superscript> . Here we use an integrated performance modelling approach to make an initial techno-economic assessment for 2050, quantifying how CDR potential and costs vary among nations in relation to business-as-usual energy policies and policies consistent with limiting future warming to 2 degrees Celsius <superscript>5</superscript> . China, India, the USA and Brazil have great potential to help achieve average global CDR goals of 0.5 to 2 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO <subscript>2</subscript> ) per year with extraction costs of approximately US$80-180 per tonne of CO <subscript>2</subscript> . These goals and costs are robust, regardless of future energy policies. Deployment within existing croplands offers opportunities to align agriculture and climate policy. However, success will depend upon overcoming political and social inertia to develop regulatory and incentive frameworks. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of ERW deployment, including the potential for excess industrial silicate materials (basalt mine overburden, concrete, and iron and steel slag) to obviate the need for new mining, as well as uncertainties in soil weathering rates and land-ocean transfer of weathered products.
- Subjects :
- Atmosphere chemistry
Brazil
China
Environmental Policy economics
Environmental Policy legislation & jurisprudence
Global Warming economics
India
Iron isolation & purification
Mining
Politics
Probability
Silicates isolation & purification
Steel isolation & purification
Temperature
Time Factors
United States
Agriculture
Carbon Dioxide isolation & purification
Crops, Agricultural
Geologic Sediments chemistry
Global Warming prevention & control
Goals
Silicates chemistry
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1476-4687
- Volume :
- 583
- Issue :
- 7815
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nature
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 32641817
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2448-9