Terrestrial Biological Carbon Sequestration: Science for Enhancement and Implementation
Fossil-fuel combustion and land-use change have elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations from 280 ppmv at the beginning of the industrial era to more than 381 ppmv in 2006. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and cement rose 71% during 1970–2000 to a rate of 7.0 PgC/y (1). Canadell et al. (2) estimated that CO2 emissions rose at a rate at 1.3% per year during 1990–1999, but since 2000 it has been growing at 3.3% per year. Emissions reached 8.4 PgC/y in 2006. It is likely that the current 2-ppm annual increase will accelerate as the global economy expands, increasing the risk of climate system impacts. There is good agreement that photosynthetic CO2 capture from the atmosphere and storage of the C in above- and belowground biomass and in soil organic and inorganic forms could be exploited for safe and affordable greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation (3). Nevertheless, C sequestration in the terrestrial biosphere has been a source of contention before and since the drafting of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. Concerns have been raised that C sequestration in the biosphere is not permanent, that it is difficult to measure and monitor, that there would be “carbon leakage” outside of the mitigation activity, and that any attention paid to environmental sequestration would be a distraction from the central issue of reducing GHG emissions from energy production and use. A decade after drafting the Kyoto Protocol, it is clear that international accord and success in reducing emissions from the energy system are not coming easily and concerns about climate change are growing. It is time to re-evaluate all available options that might not be permanent yet have the potential to buy time, bridging to a future when new energy system technologies and a transformed energy infrastructure can fully address the climate challenge. Terrestrial sequestration is one option large enough to make a contribution in the coming decades using proven land-management methods and with the possibility that new technologies could significantly enhance the opportunity. Here we review progress on key scientific, economic, and social issues; postulate the extent to which new technologies might significantly enhance terrestrial sequestration potential; and address remaining research needs.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 985020
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-68053; KP1702020
- Resource Relation:
- Related Information: Carbon Sequestration and Its Role in the Global Carbon Cycle, 183:73-88
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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