Our planet and all of the resources she houses are part of a closed system, meaning that while energy and resources can be changed by consumption or conservation, they cannot be created or destroyed. Accordingly, every process and act of consumption has some effect on our resources and the environment in which we live. Understanding…
Agriculture has been a part of urban spaces since man began establishing towns and cities. However, as populations grew, agriculture needed to be outsourced to rural or urban spaces to meet the growing demand of urban citizens. While it may still be necessary to produce more calorie-dense and space-intensive crops, e.g. grains and trees, growing…
Much of the economy in the industrialized world is dependent on cheap and easily-available resources as well as fossil energy. Such a dependency is largely grounded in the belief that continuous economic growth is not only possible but also necessary. Accordingly, consumption is intended to perpetually expand. The products generated by such a system lack…
Biochar, a form of carbon dioxide sequestration (SDR), is a solid material obtained from the carbonization of biomass. This process produces highly porous charcoal. The biomass is then buried to lock the carbon into the soil which can improve soil functions. CO2 typically produced by the natural degradation of biomass is also reduced. This practice is…
Enhanced weathering is the process of exposing large quantities of minerals that are reactive with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and storing the resulting compound in the ocean or soil. It is considered a form of carbon dioxide removal or CDR. BENEFITS CHALLENGES Has the potential to increase terrestrial and oceanic net productivity Can be…
Ocean alkalinity enhancement is increasements in the ocean’s alkalinity via the exposure of large quantities of reactive minerals to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Calcium oxide is created when temperatures of ca. 1000 degrees Celsius are used to heat high purity limestone. The Calcium oxide is then stored in the ocean. The water prevents the…
Geoengineering is deliberate, large-scale intervention in Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change. The two most common forms are: SOLAR RADIATION MANAGEMENT (SRM) SRM techniques aim to reflect a small proportion of the Sun’s energy back into space, counteracting the temperature rise caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which absorb energy…
Stratospheric aerosols are minute particles suspended in the atmosphere designed for solar radiation management [SRM]. When these particles are sufficiently large, their presence becomes noticeable as they scatter and absorb sunlight, which can reduce visibility [haze] and redden sunrises and sunsets. Aerosols interact both directly and indirectly with the Earth’s radiation budget and climate. As…
Space reflectors, a form of solar radiation management [SRM], are sun shields positioned in space in order to reduce the amount of solar energy reaching the earth. Options include placing mirrors around the earth, placing millions of reflectors between the earth and the sun where the gravitational attraction between the two bodies is equal, launching a…
Ocean fertilization is an untested carbon dioxide sequestration (CDR) technique that involves dissolving nitrates or iron into the water which will encourage an increase in carbon uptake by phytoplankton. After the plankton blooms, it dies and then sinks to the ocean floor where the carbon will be stored as sedimentary rock. BENEFITS CHALLENGES Relatively safe…