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Why Do We Need to Capture Carbon?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the global average atmospheric carbon dioxide in 2019 was 409.8 parts per million (ppm), with a range of uncertainty of plus or minus 0.1 ppm, which is a slight increase from the 2018 value of 407.4 ppm. They say that CO2 levels today are higher than at any point in at least the past 800,000 years.
The Paris Agreement, which is the most relevant international climate agreement, sought to keep the world's temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels this century. It also aims to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius in the long term. Before the Industrial Revolution, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere stood around 280 ppm. To meet the goals of the Paris Accords, most scientists agree that we will have to shoot for global atmospheric carbon levels of about or under 350 ppm. The target of 350 ppm will not stop climate change but instead will (hopefully) limit it to a supposedly manageable temperature increase of 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius.
Also, by keeping atmospheric CO2 below 350 ppm, scientists hope to avoid positive feedback loops that could lead to runaway climate change with unpredictable results. One example of a positive feedback loop could be a warming Arctic region that thaws the permafrost. This thaw would allow enormous amounts of methane gas to seep into the atmosphere. There are, unfortunately, examples of positive feedback loops already in action. The discovery of methane bubbling up from seeps in northern lakes is not a good sign.
All this data shows that if we are going to maintain temperature increases to a manageable 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius, we need to stop burning fossil fuels and need to sequester carbon dioxide that is already in our atmosphere. A 2019 report by The Guardian found that significant oil and gas companies have invested $50 Billion in fossil fuel projects. That shows that, sadly, the fossil fuel era is sadly far from ending. Strategies for capturing and sequestering carbon, then, will need to increase drastically in the coming years.
Homeowners can also make conscientious decisions at home to capture and sequester carbon and help in the fight against climate change.
What are Strategies for Capturing Carbon on a Homeowner Level?
Some strategies homeowners can employ are:
- Planting Trees
- Building with wood
- Eating pasture-raised meat
- Use lime mortars or low-carbon cement.
Plant Trees
Most of us have probably learned back in elementary school that trees are good for our environment. By planting new trees in your yard, you can control erosion, attract beneficial insects, enjoy fresh fruit, and even reduce your home's energy needs through strategic shading. As trees grow, they capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the biomass of their trunk, branches, and leaves. They also contribute to carbon capture below the ground by increasing the amount of soil organic carbon. Trees will eventually release the carbon they capture when they die and decompose. However, certain types of trees, such as chestnuts and oaks, can comfortably live over 300 years. These trees thus function as essential long-term carbon sequestration strategies to which everyone can contribute.
Eat Pasture-Raised Meat
Cattle and other livestock raised on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) cause significant environmental damage and are a large contributor to climate change. Also, vast areas of the Amazon and other delicate ecosystems fall victim to deforestation each year to increase acreage for raising meat and dairy cattle. It is also essential to recognize that natural savannas or grasslands cover at least 20 percent of the earth's surface. Instead of tilling these naturally diverse grassland ecosystems for annual crops, regenerative grazing of large herds of cattle and other livestock can sequester enormous amounts of carbon in the soils of these grasslands, up to 1.2 tons of CO2 per hectare. If you are a meat-eater, be willing to pay a couple of extra dollars for certified grass-fed and regenerative-grazed meat options. Meat products that have regenerative organic certification are an excellent place to start.
Ask Your Builder to Use Lime Mortars or Low Carbon Cement
The cement industry is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gas. It is also the most widely used material in the world. Lime mortars and new low-carbon cement options naturally react with carbon dioxide in the surrounding air during the curing process. As it hardens, these mortars can trap and capture the carbon permanently within the concrete mixture.
Global climate change seems to be hitting new "records" on a seemingly monthly basis. With fossil fuel companies continuing to pump and produce incredible amounts of oil, gas, and even coal, all of us should do our part to capture and sequester the excess carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
Tobias Roberts
Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.
