Several companies such as Ecoera, Carbofex, Carbo Culture, and Climate Robotics are all pursuing novel biochar solutions, although the cost to produce biochar remains a major challenge. One promising method is biochar, which can increase soil water and nutrient retention. Methods to promote plant growth can increase the amount of carbon deposited in the soil. This can take any of the following three forms. We can sequester more carbon in our soils by pulling levers related to storage, conversion, and retention. How do we sequester more carbon in our soils? For instance, microbial respiration will naturally release small amounts of CO 2, and human activities like tilling, which disturbs the soil, also releases CO 2. RetentionĬarbon gets released back into the atmosphere through a number of processes. The efficiency and functioning of the microbiome depends heavily on the composition of other materials in the soil such as nitrogen. Microbes (like bacteria, fungi, etc.) degrade the organic matter in soil to form humus (not to be confused with hummus, the Mediterranean dip.) Humus is what gives healthy soil its characteristic dark color and is a holy grail for soil carbon sequestration because it’s “recalcitrant” (i.e., can store carbon in soil for hundreds of years.) Other sources of soil carbon, such as dead plant biomass, are less recalcitrant. Once in the ground, the soil microbiome works its magic. Additional carbon will find its way to the soil through animal waste and plant decomposition. Some of the carbon is stored in the plant itself (as “biomass”), and the rest of it goes into the soil via the plant’s roots. Plants consume CO 2 from the air, converting it into other organic compounds like glucose. However, in broad strokes, here’s how it works: 1. The specific biophysics of soil carbon sequestration vary from field to field, owing to the wide diversity of soils and climates across the world. How does sequestering carbon in soil work? In this roadmap, we’ll share how we’re thinking about the value chain of soil carbon sequestration and where we see emerging opportunities for entrepreneurs building in the space. Evangelize farmers and corporations to adopt practices and technologies that advance soil carbon sequestration.Accurately measure and report the amount of carbon sequestered.Sequester more carbon in the ground for longer periods of time.There are three big projects that environmental scientists need to advance to realize the promise of soil carbon sequestration: That said, soil carbon sequestration still faces a number of challenges. Many states have also passed or are in the process of passing legislation to encourage the growth of healthy soils primed for carbon capture. President Biden has stated that “ soil is the next frontier for storing carbon.” The bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act, which passed the Senate in mid-2021, would de-risk the process for farmers and forest landowners to participate in voluntary carbon markets. With one of the most promising carbon sinks just one meter right below our feet, it’s no surprise that soil carbon sequestration has recently been a subject of regulatory interest. Experts estimate that soils could store up to 5 billion additional tons of carbon dioxide per year. Methods like direct air capture have garnered significant attention, but our soils also hold immense potential as a store of CO 2. With such a drastic increase in emissions, experts predict that we’ll need to remove 10 billion tons of CO 2 each year through 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. If the status quo persists, it will take two decades for these two categories to emit the same amount of CO 2 that soil has released over the past 12,000 years. That currently represents over 7.5 billion tons of CO 2 from people and vehicles in the US alone. emit approximately 1 billion tons of CO 2 per year. To put this into perspective, the average yearly CO 2 emissions for an American is 20 tons per person and all cars and trucks in the U.S. In the history of agriculture, human farming practices have led to the release of roughly 150 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2) from our soils into the atmosphere.
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