Desert ‘carbon Farming’ To Curb CO2

Desert ‘carbon farming’ to suppress CO2

1 August 2013

Share

close panel

Share page

Copy link

About sharing

By Matt McGrath

Environment reporter, BBC News

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

Dubbed «carbon farming», scientists state the idea is economically competitive with high-tech carbon capture and storage projects.

But critics say the idea could be have unexpected, unfavorable impacts consisting of driving up food prices.

The research has been published, in the journal Earth System Dynamics.

Seeds of change

Jatropha curcas is a plant that stemmed in Central America and is extremely well adjusted to harsh conditions consisting of incredibly dry deserts.

It is already grown as a biofuel, external in some parts of the world because its seeds can produce oil.

In this research study, German scientists showed that one hectare of jatropha could capture up to 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. The researchers based their price quotes on trees presently growing in trial plots in Egypt and in the Negev desert.

«The outcomes are overwhelming,» said Prof Klaus Becker, from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart.

«There was excellent development, a great action from these plants. I feel there will be no issue attempting it on a much larger scale, for example 10 thousand hectares in the beginning,» he said.

According to the scientists a plantation that would cover 3 percent of the Arabian desert would soak up all the CO2 produced by cars and trucks in Germany over a twenty years duration.

The researchers state that a crucial aspect of the strategy would be the schedule of desalination facilities. This indicates that at first, any plantations would be restricted to seaside areas.

They are wanting to establish larger trials in desert areas of Oman or Qatar. Prof Becker says that unlike other schemes that just balance out the carbon that individuals produce, the planting of jatropha might be a great, short-term service to climate modification.

«I believe it is a great concept because we are really extracting co2 from the environment – and it is completely various between drawing out and preventing.»

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

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

Growing jatropha not just takes in CO2 however has other benefits. The plants would help to make desert areas more habitable, and the plant’s seeds can be harvested for biofuel say the scientists, supplying a financial return.

«Jatropha is ideal to be become biokerosene – it is even much better than biodiesel,» stated Prof Becker.

But other specialists in this area are not convinced. They indicate the truth that in 2007 and 2008 great deals of jatropha trees were planted for biofuel, specifically in Africa. But a lot of these ventures ended in tears,, external as the plants were not extremely effective in coping with dry conditions.

Lucy Hurn is the biofuels campaign manager for the charity, Actionaid. She says that while jatropha was as soon as viewed as the fantastic, green hope the reality was very different.

«When jatropha was introduced it was viewed as a miracle crop, it would grow on scrubland or minimal land,» she said.

«But there are often individuals who require minimal land to graze their animals, they are getting food from that location – we would not class the land as minimal.»

She explained that jatropha is highly harmful and can contaminate the land it is grown on, even in a desert. And she likewise had issues about the fairness of the concept.

«It is still somebody else’s land. Why enter and grow these huge plantations to handle a problem these individuals didn’t actually trigger?»

Follow Matt on Twitter, external.

More on this story

‘Carpets of seaweed’ grown for fuel. Video, 00:03:05’Carpets of seaweed’ grown for fuel

1 July 2013

Biofuels are ‘illogical strategy’

Published

15 April 2013

Related internet links

Universität Hohenheim

European Geosciences Union

The BBC is not accountable for the material of external websites.