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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 say that planting large numbers of jatropha trees in desert areas might be an effective method of curbing emissions of CO2.

Dubbed “carbon farming”, scientists say the idea is financially competitive with modern carbon capture and storage tasks.

But critics state the concept could be have unexpected, negative impacts including driving up food prices.

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

Seeds of modification

Jatropha curcas is a plant that stemmed in Central America and is really well adjusted to severe conditions including incredibly dry deserts.

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

In this research study, German researchers showed that one hectare of jatropha might catch up to 25 tonnes of co2 from the atmosphere every year. The researchers based their quotes on trees currently 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 great development, an excellent action from these plants. I feel there will be no issue attempting it on a much bigger scale, for example 10 thousand hectares in the start,” he stated.

According to the researchers a plantation that would cover 3 percent of the Arabian desert would absorb all the CO2 produced by automobiles and trucks in Germany over a 20 year period.

The researchers say that a vital aspect of the plan would be the schedule of desalination centers. This means that initially, any plantations would be confined to seaside locations.

They are hoping to 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 an excellent, brief term solution to environment modification.

“I think it is a good concept because we are actually drawing out co2 from the atmosphere – and it is completely different in between extracting and preventing.”

According to the researcher’s calculations the expenses of curbing carbon dioxide via the planting of trees would be in 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 currently trialling this innovation, external but it has yet to be deployed commercially.

Growing jatropha not just soaks up CO2 however has other benefits. The plants would assist to make desert areas more habitable, and the plant’s seeds can be collected for biofuel say the researchers, offering an economic return.

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

But other professionals in this area are not encouraged. They point to the fact that in 2007 and 2008 large numbers of jatropha trees were planted for biofuel, especially in Africa. But numerous of these endeavors ended in tears,, external as the plants were not very effective in coping with dry conditions.

Lucy Hurn is the biofuels project supervisor for the charity, Actionaid. She states that while jatropha was when viewed as the great, green hope the truth was extremely various.

“When jatropha was presented it was seen as a miracle crop, it would grow on scrubland or limited land,” she said.

“But there are often people who require minimal land to graze their animals, they are getting food from that area – we wouldn’t class the land as marginal.”

She mentioned that jatropha is highly poisonous and can pollute the land it is grown on, even in a desert. And she also had issues about the fairness of the idea.

“It is still somebody else’s land. Why enter and grow these massive plantations to deal with an issue these people didn’t actually cause?”

Follow Matt on Twitter, external.

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Related internet links

Universität Hohenheim

European Geosciences Union

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