Seaweeds and halophytes to remove carbon from the atmosphere
- Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
The utility industry and other interested parties have investigated strategies to mitigate the buildup of atmospheric CO{sub 2}. One option that has been considered is the planting of trees on a massive scale to absorb carbon through photosynthesis. A dilemma of using tree plantations, however, is that they might occupy land that will be needed for food production or other needs for an expected doubling of human population in the tropical regions. We evaluated seaweeds and salt-tolerant terrestrial plants (halophytes) to be grown on the coastal shelves and salt deserts of the world as possible alternatives to tree plantations. An estimated 1.3 {times} 10{sup 6} km{sup 2} of continental shelf and 1.3 {times} 10{sup 6} km{sup 2} of salt desert may be usable for seaweed and halophyte plantations. The production rates of managed seaweed and halophyte plantings are similar to managed tree plantations. Seaweeds and halophytes could conceivably absorb 10--20% of annual fossil fuel carbon emissions through biomass production, similar to estimates made for tree plantations. Present costs of halophyte biomass production are similar to costs of tree biomass production, whereas seaweed biomass is much more expensive to produce using existing technologies. Storage of seaweed carbon might be accomplished by allowing it to enter the sediment detritus chain whereas halophyte carbon might be sequestered in the soil, or used as biomass fuel. As has been concluded for reforestation, these saline biomass crops could at best help delay rather than solve the carbon dioxide build-up problem. 1 fig., 13 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA); Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- EPRI; Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6377715
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-ER/EN-7177
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOMASS
AGRICULTURE
AQUACULTURE
CARBON DIOXIDE
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
SEAWEEDS
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
PRODUCTIVITY
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON SINKS
CLIMATES
COST
CROPS
DESERTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
MITIGATION
PLANTS
PROGRESS REPORT
SALTS
SEDIMENTS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARID LANDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
INDUSTRY
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SINKS
090800* - Biomass Fuels- Production- (1990-)
095000 - Biomass Fuels- Environmental Aspects- (1990-)
540310 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (1990-)
540210 - Environment
Terrestrial- Basic Studies- (1990-)
540110