carbon sequestration: helpful or harmful? dan nye tara whipkey tim walanis
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Carbon Sequestration:Carbon Sequestration: Helpful or Harmful? Helpful or Harmful?
Dan NyeDan Nye
Tara WhipkeyTara Whipkey
Tim WalanisTim Walanis
IntroductionIntroduction
Basic problem: the need to reduce carbon Basic problem: the need to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphereemissions in the atmosphere
COCO22 makes up 64% of the greenhouse makes up 64% of the greenhouse
gases that contribute to global warming gases that contribute to global warming through human impact (van der Pluijm)through human impact (van der Pluijm)
http://i.treehugger.com/files/th_images/smokestacks-coal-01.jpghttp://i.treehugger.com/files/th_images/smokestacks-coal-01.jpg
What is Carbon Sequestration?What is Carbon Sequestration?
Placement of carbon dioxide from emissions Placement of carbon dioxide from emissions of factories and power plants deep into the of factories and power plants deep into the ground or ocean for storageground or ocean for storage
As opposed to emitting them into the As opposed to emitting them into the atmosphere, contributing to global warmingatmosphere, contributing to global warming
Storage possibilities include: Storage possibilities include: – Deep ocean Deep ocean – Saltwater aquifers Saltwater aquifers – Oil and natural gas reservoirsOil and natural gas reservoirs
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/images/carbon%2520sequestration.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/images/carbon%2520sequestration.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/classactivities/carbonseq_intsec.html&h=353&w=557&sz=35&hl=en&sig2=jHte_iRHWVEcs8x2134KGQ&start=5&um=1&tbnid=FjEhm6Qr9Z1lHM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=133&ei=tPMaRoq0E4OqiwGB1dXcarbonseq_intsec.html&h=353&w=557&sz=35&hl=en&sig2=jHte_iRHWVEcs8x2134KGQ&start=5&um=1&tbnid=FjEhm6Qr9Z1lHM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=133&ei=tPMaRoq0E4OqiwGB1dX
DBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcarbon%2Bsequestration%26svnum%3D100%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3DGGGL,GGGL:2006-12,GGGL:en%26sa%3DNDBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcarbon%2Bsequestration%26svnum%3D100%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3DGGGL,GGGL:2006-12,GGGL:en%26sa%3DN
Natural MethodsNatural Methods
ForestsForests– Naturally reduce CONaturally reduce CO22 in atmosphere in atmosphere– As a result of natural growth, or human plantingAs a result of natural growth, or human planting
SoilSoil– Also, naturally reduce COAlso, naturally reduce CO22 in atmosphere in atmosphere– As a result of better farming practicesAs a result of better farming practices
ManureManure CompostCompost Improved grazingImproved grazing
Carbon Sequestration: HelpfulCarbon Sequestration: Helpful
Cost effective Cost effective – Only 14% the cost of solar powerOnly 14% the cost of solar power– Tax benefitsTax benefits
Relatively immediate solutionRelatively immediate solution– Eliminating coal would take much longerEliminating coal would take much longer
Utilizing underdeveloped geological occurrencesUtilizing underdeveloped geological occurrences– More effective oil harvestingMore effective oil harvesting– Fully exploiting Earth’s natural formationsFully exploiting Earth’s natural formations
Largely unproved negative repercussions Largely unproved negative repercussions discovereddiscovered
Similar MethodsSimilar Methods
Gasoline station’s storage systemGasoline station’s storage system– Highly regulatedHighly regulated– Safe and effectiveSafe and effective– Step beyond what is currently done in Step beyond what is currently done in
sequestration practicessequestration practices
Nuclear waste disposalNuclear waste disposal– Storage in stable site for long periods of timeStorage in stable site for long periods of time– Relatively no consequencesRelatively no consequences
http://carbonsequestration.us/Websites/htm/DOE-Fossil-Energy-Carbon-Sequestration_files/carbon_capacity.gifhttp://carbonsequestration.us/Websites/htm/DOE-Fossil-Energy-Carbon-Sequestration_files/carbon_capacity.gif
Carbon Sequestration: HarmfulCarbon Sequestration: Harmful
Chemical imbalance in the Chemical imbalance in the oceanocean– Change in deep water Change in deep water
ecosystemsecosystems
Current threats vs. future Current threats vs. future problemsproblems
Very expensive, 30-80% Very expensive, 30-80% more electricity usedmore electricity used
Large scale COLarge scale CO22 escape, escape,
mass asphyxiationmass asphyxiation
http://www.nersc.gov/news/annual_reports/annrep01/http://www.nersc.gov/news/annual_reports/annrep01/images/highlights/16sh_caldeira_mac.jpgimages/highlights/16sh_caldeira_mac.jpg
Lake Nyos DisasterLake Nyos Disaster
Cameroon, 1986Cameroon, 1986 Massive COMassive CO22 released released
1,700+ people died 1,700+ people died along with numerous along with numerous livestock due to livestock due to asphyxiationasphyxiation
Much smaller amount Much smaller amount of COof CO22 than current than current
sequestration projectssequestration projects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cow_killed_by_Lake_Nyos_gasses.jpg
A Practical SolutionA Practical Solution
Enormous amounts of COEnormous amounts of CO22 wouldn’t cause any wouldn’t cause any
major chemical imbalance in the oceanmajor chemical imbalance in the ocean– If current atmospheric concentrations were stashed in If current atmospheric concentrations were stashed in
the ocean, carbon content would rise only 2%the ocean, carbon content would rise only 2%
Global warming or healthy fish?Global warming or healthy fish? Areas with aquifers kept clear of human Areas with aquifers kept clear of human
development, no chance of asphyxiationdevelopment, no chance of asphyxiation Any method of carbon reduction is expensive, still Any method of carbon reduction is expensive, still
more cost effective than solarmore cost effective than solar
……Or An Inconvenient Truth?Or An Inconvenient Truth?
Any increase in COAny increase in CO22 in the deep ocean in the deep ocean
would have an enormous affect on the entire would have an enormous affect on the entire ecosystemecosystem
Everything is interconnected, can’t forsake Everything is interconnected, can’t forsake one part of the ecosystemone part of the ecosystem
Human development will need to expandHuman development will need to expand More sustainable energy is cheaper in the More sustainable energy is cheaper in the
long runlong run
More Sustainable MethodsMore Sustainable Methods
Carbon tradingCarbon trading Alternative energyAlternative energy
– Wind Wind – SolarSolar– GeothermalGeothermal
Offset programs (tree planting)Offset programs (tree planting)
Carbon Offsetting Program ExampleCarbon Offsetting Program Example
A. Finkl & Sons Co. A. Finkl & Sons Co. – Forging manufacturer based in ChicagoForging manufacturer based in Chicago
The company plants enough trees to absorb The company plants enough trees to absorb carbon emissions produced by its factoriescarbon emissions produced by its factories
Conscientious thinking in the face of Conscientious thinking in the face of economic pressures and a family tradeeconomic pressures and a family trade
http://www.finkl.com/fafa/why.asphttp://www.finkl.com/fafa/why.asp
In SummaryIn Summary
Carbon sequestration may solve the problem of Carbon sequestration may solve the problem of COCO22 emissions temporarily, but is not the best emissions temporarily, but is not the best
solutionsolution More sustainable methods need to be More sustainable methods need to be
implementedimplemented– Think long termThink long term
Systems thinking is essentialSystems thinking is essential Governments, societies, and individuals need to Governments, societies, and individuals need to
work toward a solution for today and tomorrowwork toward a solution for today and tomorrow
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