It's hard for people to visualize removing tons or billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂). I propose we talk about CO₂ removal (#CDR) like a time machine (e.g., this machine will take us back 5 minutes). For example:
Q: How far back in time does planting 100 million trees take us?
A: If one mature tree takes up an average of 25 kg of CO₂ per year, then 100 million trees will take up 2.5 MtCO₂. That's a time machine that takes us back 33 minutes and 6 seconds in a year. It's not a lot.
Another CO₂ removal (CDR) as time machine example:
H&M, the second largest international clothing retailer, recently purchased 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ removal from Climeworks. 10,000 tonnes sounds like a lot, right, but it's a time machine that takes us back only 8 seconds. 😩
https://hmgroup.com/news/hm-group-further-invests-in-the-decarbonisation-of-its-value-chain/
My #CDR friends on twitter got mad at me for pointing out that the four regional Direct Air Capture (#DAC) Hubs under the Inflation Reduction Act (#IRA) specify a minimum CO₂ removal capacity of 50,000 tonnes/year.
Hence, each DAC Hub is a #time #machine that takes us back only about 40 seconds a year!
It's important to point this out because some people think CDR is a replacement for #decarbonization and that can never be the case.
https://www.energy.gov/oced/four-regional-clean-direct-air-capture-hubs
Technological CDR is a total scam...
Every dollar invested and every minute wasted discussing it just removes resources from the most meaningful and effective we can do: stop burning the planet for a few bucks for people that are already so rich they can't spend their wealth in lifetime.
There are several mechanisms why CDR receives so much more funding than reasonable actions:
- CDR doesn't touch the status quo
- the easiest thing for governments is to spend money instead of forcing people/companies to actually change behaviour
- scientists/engineering enthusiasts like the idea of a technology to 'save the world'
- there are plenty of business opportunities and money to make
With 'green CDR' the things might be a little bit different, especially when these initiatives involve a bottom-up improvement of livelihoods of the people. I am not referring to industrialized afforestation projects (!), like the ones usually offered by most offsetting companied, but to initiatives like https://www.evergreening.org/
Or improvements of agricultural techniques benefitting resilience, biodiversity and soil organic matter contents.
Natural Fighters for Nature Watch our short film Restore Africa: Natural Fighters for Nature Watch Now! Accelerating Nature-based Solutions Conference READ MORE What we do The Global EverGreening Alliance works with, and through, its numerous member organisations – and with governments and multi-lateral agencies – to implement massive land restoration programs. In so doing, the…
David Ho
Earthworm 🐌