Articles tagged with "climate-change-mitigation"
100,000 Mangrove Trees Planted In One Day? - CleanTechnica
The article highlights Tom Chi’s TED Talk showcasing an innovative method of replanting mangrove trees using drones, where just four people can plant over 100,000 mangrove trees in a single day. Impressively, about 90% of these seeds germinate, and 85% become established plants. Mangrove forests play a critical role in combating climate change by sequestering carbon, yet many were destroyed for commercial shrimp farming—a practice criticized for its environmental harm and inefficiency. Restoring these ecosystems is presented as a vital and just action to support biodiversity and reduce atmospheric carbon. Chi also discusses the potential use of underwater drones to restore coral reefs and seagrass beds, which similarly help remove carbon from the atmosphere. He challenges the common “jobs vs. environment” narrative by framing human economic activity as a subset of the environment, emphasizing that the environment is primary and that humans are just one of millions of species. The article further critiques regenerative agriculture and hybrid vehicles, arguing that partial improvements
dronesmangrove-reforestationenvironmental-technologycarbon-sequestrationunderwater-dronesclimate-change-mitigationregenerative-agricultureGreat Green Wall: Drought-resilient algae to help reclaim 6,667 hectares of desert
Chinese researchers have developed an innovative geoengineering technique using drought-resilient blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) to reclaim desert land by creating a stable biological soil crust. This method, pioneered at the Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station in Ningxia, involves deploying specially selected cyanobacterial strains embedded in nutrient-rich "solid seed" blocks. These blocks, once spread across barren dunes, activate upon rainfall, secreting a biomass matrix that binds sand particles, immobilizes shifting dunes, and forms a nutrient-rich substrate conducive to plant growth. This approach drastically reduces the natural formation time of desert crusts from 5–10 years to just one year. The project aims to reclaim up to 6,667 hectares in Ningxia over five years and is part of China’s broader “Great Green Wall” initiative to combat desertification by addressing the root cause—shifting sands—rather than relying solely on tree planting. The technology is low-cost, scalable, and has potential applications beyond China, with
materialsgeoengineeringcyanobacteriadesert-restorationbiocrust-technologyclimate-change-mitigationsustainable-agricultureWhy carbon capture is the real bottleneck in climate tech
The article highlights that while carbon storage capacity is expanding and technologically ready, the primary bottleneck in climate tech lies in the insufficient rate of carbon capture. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a three-step process involving capturing CO2 emissions from industrial sources like power plants, cement, and steel factories, transporting the compressed CO2, and permanently storing it underground. Experts emphasize that CCS is crucial for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and enabling carbon dioxide removal technologies such as Bio-Energy with CCS and Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage. However, despite the growing storage infrastructure, the volume of CO2 being captured remains inadequate to meet storage potential. The challenges in scaling carbon capture include high energy consumption, inflexibility with varying industrial loads, expensive infrastructure, and health and safety concerns related to chemical degradation. These factors contribute to slow deployment and limited adaptability of capture technologies, especially for industrial emissions with dilute CO2 concentrations. Both Sarah Saltzer of Stanford Center for Carbon Storage and Jean-
energycarbon-captureclimate-technologygreenhouse-gas-reductioncarbon-storageindustrial-emissionsclimate-change-mitigationDACLab says it can remove CO2 using less electricity than many competitors
DACLab, a startup emerging from stealth mode with $3 million in seed funding, claims it can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using significantly less electricity than many competitors. While direct air capture (DAC) typically requires around 2,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per metric ton of CO2 captured, DACLab reports achieving this at approximately 1,500 kWh per ton, with plans to reduce consumption below 1,000 kWh per ton. Their technology, adapted from an industrial carbon capture system developed at TU Wien in Austria in partnership with Shell, separates the CO2 capture and release processes into different locations, allowing for lower heat requirements (around 70°C) and improved energy efficiency compared to conventional integrated systems. DACLab has built two pilot units capable of capturing 100 metric tons of CO2 annually, priced under $500,000 each, with plans to scale up to units capturing 1,000 and 5,000 metric tons per year. Initial
energycarbon-capturedirect-air-captureCO2-removalclean-technologyrenewable-energyclimate-change-mitigationScientists turn seafood waste into powerful CO2 adsorbent material
Researchers at the University of Sharjah in the UAE have developed an innovative method to convert shrimp waste—specifically shells, heads, and guts—into activated carbon capable of capturing carbon dioxide (CO₂). This process addresses two major environmental challenges simultaneously: managing the vast amounts of seafood waste generated globally (up to eight million tons annually) and mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The shrimp waste, sourced from Souq Al Jubail in Sharjah and originally from Oman, undergoes a multi-step treatment involving pyrolysis to create biochar, followed by acid treatment, chemical activation, and ball milling to produce a highly effective and stable CO₂ adsorbent. Beyond carbon capture, the activated carbon derived from shrimp waste has versatile applications including air and water purification, solvent recovery, gold extraction, and certain medical uses. The researchers emphasize that this approach exemplifies a circular economy by transforming problematic waste into a valuable resource, enhancing resource efficiency and sustainability. The study, published in the journal Nanos
energymaterialscarbon-captureactivated-carbonwaste-managementclimate-change-mitigationsustainable-materialsFrontier buys $31M worth of antacids for the ocean
Frontier, a carbon removal clearinghouse founded by companies including Google and Shopify, has purchased 115,208 metric tons of carbon removal credits from the geoengineering startup Planetary. This marks Frontier’s first agreement to remove carbon by enhancing ocean alkalinity, a method that involves increasing the ocean’s natural alkalinity to absorb more carbon dioxide. The deal prices carbon removal at $270 per metric ton, although Planetary aims to reduce this cost to under $100 per metric ton in the future. Ocean alkalinity enhancement has the potential to remove over 1 billion metric tons of CO2 annually, offering a significant tool in combating climate change. The oceans have historically absorbed large amounts of atmospheric CO2, which has slowed global warming but also increased ocean acidity, threatening marine life. Since the industrial revolution, ocean pH has dropped from about 8.2 to 8.1, representing a 30% increase in acidity due to carbonic acid formation when CO2 reacts with seawater. Planet
energycarbon-removalocean-alkalinity-enhancementclimate-change-mitigationgeoengineeringenvironmental-technologycarbon-creditsWorld’s first third-party CO2 storage facility kicks off in Norway
The world’s first third-party carbon dioxide (CO2) storage facility, Northern Lights, has commenced operations in Norway, marking a significant milestone in large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Europe. The project, a joint venture between Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies, successfully completed the first permanent underground injection of CO2 transported from Heidelberg Materials’ cement plant in Brevik. The CO2 was shipped and then piped 62 miles subsea to the Aurora reservoir located about 8,530 feet beneath the Norwegian North Sea seabed, where it is stored safely and permanently. This initial injection finalizes Phase 1 of the project, which has a storage capacity of up to 1.5 million tons of CO2 annually, fully booked by customers, and is part of Norway’s Longship initiative—a government-backed full-scale CCS program. Northern Lights is the world’s first cross-border CO2 transport and storage facility available to third-party emitters, integrating capture,
energycarbon-capture-and-storageCO2-storageNorthern-Lights-projectrenewable-energyclimate-change-mitigationsustainable-technologyCarbon Drawdown Initiative Innovates On A Lab Test Speeding Up CDR Research - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica highlights a significant advancement by the Carbon Drawdown team in accelerating research on enhanced rock weathering (EW), a promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technique. Traditionally, testing the effectiveness of different rock-soil combinations in field and greenhouse settings has been slow and costly, often taking 200 to 250 days or more to determine if a given pairing increases soil alkalinity—a key indicator of carbon removal. This lengthy process hampers the ability to quickly identify effective combinations and avoid unproductive efforts. The breakthrough comes in the form of a simple laboratory “shaker test” that compresses the evaluation time to just 48 hours. By mixing small amounts of rock, soil, and distilled water in a flask and measuring electrical conductivity (EC) as a proxy for alkalinity changes, researchers found that short-term lab results closely matched long-term greenhouse outcomes. This rapid test could enable project developers to pre-screen rock-soil pairs efficiently, reducing wasted time, money, and emissions
energycarbon-dioxide-removalenhanced-rock-weatheringmaterials-testingclimate-change-mitigationlaboratory-testingenvironmental-technologyGermany pressure-cooks waste to trap 50 tons of CO2 per hectare
A German startup, Humify, has revived a nearly century-old high-pressure process known as hydrothermal humification to rapidly regenerate soil and capture significant amounts of CO2. By heating organic waste to 200°C under pressure with water, they produce artificial humic substances—nutrient-rich polymers that mimic natural soil components. When added to soil, these substances enhance moisture and mineral retention, stimulate beneficial microbial ecosystems, and can bind up to 50 tons of carbon per hectare within the first year. This method compresses a natural soil regeneration process that typically takes over 3,000 years into just weeks, offering a promising solution to soil degradation and climate change. The process repurposes the Bergius-Pier method, originally developed in the early 20th century for converting biomass into fuel, to instead restore soil health and trap carbon underground. Humify’s approach is flexible, working with various organic wastes and adaptable to local agricultural conditions. Field trials in China have shown crop yield increases of up
energycarbon-capturesoil-regenerationhydrothermal-humificationsustainable-agricultureclimate-change-mitigationgreen-chemistryClimeFi & World Ocean Council: Scaling Marine CDR For Climate & Biodiversity - CleanTechnica
The article highlights the growing interest in marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) as a crucial strategy for addressing climate change and supporting biodiversity. Oceans naturally absorb about 30% of human CO₂ emissions and store significantly more carbon than the atmosphere, offering advantages over land-based carbon removal methods by avoiding competition with agriculture and urban areas. Various mCDR techniques, such as seaweed farming and electrochemical CO₂ removal, can operate offshore or near coastal infrastructure, providing scalable and less land-constrained solutions. Additionally, many mCDR approaches bring ecological benefits like reducing ocean acidification and enhancing marine habitats, though some methods carry risks such as trace metal introduction or harmful algal blooms, which ongoing research aims to mitigate. A key challenge for mCDR is robust measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) due to the ocean’s complex dynamics, making carbon quantification more difficult than on land. However, progress is being made with new protocols and standards developed by organizations like Isometric, Carbon
energycarbon-capturemarine-carbon-dioxide-removalocean-based-CDRclimate-change-mitigationenvironmental-technologycarbon-removal-verification