You are browsing the archive for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
19 July 2012
Introducing the European Geoscience Union – Soil Systems Science Division
The European Geoscience Union, a leader in the free dissemination of scientific research, has rolled out its Soil Systems Science Division (SSSD). The SSSD has a blog newsletter with some fine articles and beautiful images about soils and surface geology of Europe. When Editor Jessica Drake (Soilduck) kindly invited me to write a short “why I do soil science” biographical piece, I jumped at the chance. Being that I’m American, …
28 November 2011
Using Thermogravimetry for Carbon Accounting
Thermogravimetry-Derivative Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) is a simple and inexpensive method to account for recent soil carbon sequestration. As such, it’s a good choice to be a standardized test in international carbon trading markets. More about TG/DTG shortly, but first, why is this important? Background Here in the United States, clearly, any federal legislation that seeks to reduce carbon emissions, such as by taxation or carbon trading, has no chance of getting through …
10 November 2011
Australia Passes a Carbon Tax
In a bold move, Australia has passed a carbon tax. The 500 largest polluters will pay $23 per tonne. Farmers can cash in by selling carbon offsets, presumably through ways including soil carbon sequestration. Obviously, the measure’s not popular with everyone. Australia mines and uses a lot of coal, even though, as part of the law, there is a lot of money appropriated to support displaced jobs. Scientific American has the …
20 November 2010
Economic and Ecological Benefits of Perennial Wheat
The Wheat Field, Sunset by Vincent van Gogh (1890). Researchers at Michigan State University, Washington State University and The Land Institute at Kansas State University have been running trials on “perennial wheat.” Perennial wheat gets planted once and is harvested several times, unlike conventional wheat that requires tilling and seeding the soil every growing season. With only a few months to grow, conventional wheat develops shallow roots and soil is …
26 March 2009
Put Livestock Back Out to Pasture
Grazing livestock would enhance soil fertility, raise healthier animals, and improve public health. “…an estimated 70 percent of all U.S. antibiotics and related drugs are given to animals that are not sick. This overuse of antibiotics contributes to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, with the result that antibiotics we commonly use are becoming less effective in fighting human illnesses, including some life-threatening infections.” – Union of Concerned Scientists In …
25 January 2009
Carbon Sequestration by Mineral Carbonation
Given the evidence supporting the view that burning fossil fuels is contributing to global warming and a potential dangerous climate perturbation, there’s considerable interest in carbon storage. So-called Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) could be done many ways such as increasing soil organic matter and planting more trees, ocean storage, burial in deep geologic formations, and mineral carbonation. Howard Herzog of the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment has this assessment …
John Freeland earned a PhD in Soil Science (Pedology) at North Dakota State University. John works as an environmental science consultant in the private sector and teaches Geology part-time at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is interested in science communication, the intersection of art and science, and soil-water-landscape processes. John lives in Michigan with his wife and three children and plays bass in a trio.