Carbon Sequestration: Helpful or Harmful? Dan Nye Tara Whipkey Tim Walanis

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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Carbon Sequestration: Helpful or Harmful? Dan Nye Tara Whipkey Tim Walanis