#DEATH ROAD TO CANADA DEEP CUT FULL#

Capture out of the atmosphere is assumed to be much more expensive because of the low CO 2 concentration in the atmosphere relative to N 2 and O 2. It is thus very likely that at least some carbon sequestration will be needed in the near future to keep CO 2 below a dangerous level.Ĭarbon sequestration involves two steps: (1) CO 2 capture, either from the atmosphere or at industrial sources (2) storage. Even if advanced technologies such as hydrogen power and nuclear fusion become economical, the infrastructure switch will take many decades. Since our economy depends heavily on fossil fuel, which comprises more than 80% of primary energy use, to reduce carbon emissions requires drastic changes in energy use efficiency and the use of alternative energy sources that are generally not economically competitive at present. There are two main approaches: (1) to reduce emissions (2) to capture CO 2 and store it, i.e., sequestration. Keeping the atmospheric CO 2 concentration below 450–600 ppmv poses an unprecedented challenge to humanity. Beyond this point, global climate change would be very difficult and costly to deal with. Scientists have argued that severe consequences will occur once atmospheric CO 2 concentrations reach between 450 and 600 ppmv.

Depending on how the current carbon sinks change in the future, the atmospheric CO 2 concentration for the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 emissions scenario is between 450–600 ppmv by 2050, and 700–1000 ppmv by 2100, and global mean surface temperature may increase between 1.5–5.5☌, with related changes in sea-level, extreme events, and ecosystem shifts.

įossil fuel emissions are projected to reach 9–20 GtC y -1 by 2050 in the absence of climate change policies, according to a range of emissions scenarios. The cumulative fossil fuel emission since 1800 is 330 GtC, but only about half of that remains in the atmosphere the remainder absorbed by carbon sinks in the ocean and on land. The emission rate of carbon from fossil fuel (oil, coal and gas) consumption is currently about 8 GtC y -1 (10 15 g of carbon per year) while the deforestation rate for the 1990s is estimated to be 1.6 (0.5–2.7) GtC y -1. The technique is low tech, distributed, easy to monitor, safe, and reversible, thus an attractive option for large-scale implementation in a world-wide carbon market.Ītmospheric CO 2 concentration has increased from 280 to 380 ppmv (parts per million by volume a 35% change) since pre-industrial time, largely due to carbon emissions from anthropogenic fossil fuel burning and deforestation. The cost for carbon sequestration with wood burial is low because CO 2 is removed from the atmosphere by the natural process of photosynthesis at little cost.

#DEATH ROAD TO CANADA DEEP CUT FULL#

There are possible environmental impacts such as nutrient lock-up which nevertheless appears manageable, but other concerns and factors will likely set a limit so that only part of the full potential can be realized.īased on data from North American logging industry, the cost for wood burial is estimated to be $14/tCO 2($50/tC), lower than the typical cost for power plant CO 2 capture with geological storage. Burying wood has other benefits including minimizing CO 2 source from deforestation, extending the lifetime of reforestation carbon sink, and reducing fire danger. The potential is largest in tropical forests (4.2 GtC y -1), followed by temperate (3.7 GtC y -1) and boreal forests (2.1 GtC y -1). It is estimated that a sustainable long-term carbon sequestration potential for wood burial is 10 ± 5 GtC y -1, and currently about 65 GtC is on the world's forest floors in the form of coarse woody debris suitable for burial.

Because a large flux of CO 2 is constantly being assimilated into the world's forests via photosynthesis, cutting off its return pathway to the atmosphere forms an effective carbon sink. The largely anaerobic condition under a sufficiently thick layer of soil will prevent the decomposition of the buried wood. Here a carbon sequestration strategy is proposed in which certain dead or live trees are harvested via collection or selective cutting, then buried in trenches or stowed away in above-ground shelters. To mitigate global climate change, a portfolio of strategies will be needed to keep the atmospheric CO 2 concentration below a dangerous level.

Death road to canada deep cut