Desert ‘carbon Farming’ To Curb CO2

Desert ‘carbon farming’ to curb CO2

1 August 2013

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By Matt McGrath

Environment reporter, BBC News

Scientists state that planting big numbers of jatropha trees in desert locations could be an effective way of curbing emissions of CO2.

Dubbed “carbon farming”, scientists say the concept is economically competitive with high-tech carbon capture and storage tasks.

But critics say the concept might be have unanticipated, unfavorable impacts consisting of increasing food prices.

The research has actually been released, external in the journal Earth System Dynamics.

Seeds of modification

Jatropha curcas is a plant that came from Central America and is effectively adapted to severe conditions including extremely arid deserts.

It is currently grown as a biofuel, external in some parts of the world due to the fact that its seeds can produce oil.

In this research study, German scientists revealed that a person hectare of jatropha could capture approximately 25 tonnes of co2 from the atmosphere every year. The scientists based their estimates on trees presently growing in trial plots in Egypt and in the Negev desert.

“The outcomes are frustrating,” stated Prof Klaus Becker, from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart.

“There was excellent development, a good response from these plants. I feel there will be no issue trying it on a much bigger scale, for example ten thousand hectares in the start,” he said.

According to the scientists a plantation that would cover three percent of the Arabian desert would soak up all the CO2 produced by cars and trucks and trucks in Germany over a 20 year duration.

The researchers state that an important component of the strategy would be the accessibility of desalination centers. This means that initially, any plantations would be restricted to seaside areas.

They are wanting to develop bigger trials in desert areas of Oman or Qatar. Prof Becker says that unlike other plans that just balance out the carbon that individuals produce, the planting of jatropha might be an excellent, brief term option to climate change.

“I believe it is a great idea because we are really drawing out co2 from the environment – and it is completely different in between drawing out and avoiding.”

According to the researcher’s estimations the expenses of suppressing co2 by means of the planting of trees would be between 42 and 63 euros per tonne. This makes it competitive with other techniques, such as the more high tech carbon capture and storage, external (CCS).

A number of nations are presently trialling this technology, external but it has yet to be released commercially.

Growing jatropha not only absorbs CO2 but has other advantages. The plants would assist to make desert areas more habitable, and the plant’s seeds can be for biofuel state the researchers, supplying a financial return.

“Jatropha is perfect to be developed into biokerosene – it is even better than biodiesel,” said Prof Becker.

But other professionals in this location are not convinced. They indicate the fact that in 2007 and 2008 big numbers of jatropha trees were planted for biofuel, particularly in Africa. But numerous of these endeavors ended in tears,, external as the plants were not very effective in handling dry conditions.

Lucy Hurn is the biofuels campaign manager for the charity, Actionaid. She states that while jatropha was when seen as the great, green hope the truth was very various.

“When jatropha was introduced it was seen as a wonder crop, it would grow on scrubland or marginal land,” she stated.

“But there are often individuals who need minimal land to graze their animals, they are getting food from that location – we would not class the land as marginal.”

She mentioned that jatropha is extremely toxic and can contaminate the land it is grown on, even in a desert. And she also had issues about the fairness of the concept.

“It is still someone else’s land. Why go in and grow these enormous plantations to handle a problem these people didn’t in fact trigger?”

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Related internet links

Universität Hohenheim

European Geosciences Union

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