Sucking It Up!

A £30m UK project, comparing different ways of removing the 'greenhouse gas' carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, has been announced (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/24/trials-to-suck-carbon-dioxide-from-the-air-to-start-across-the-uk). Amongst the techniques to be evaluated are re-wetting peatlands; exploring the use of rock chips that absorb carbon dioxide as they breakdown in soil and burying 'biochar' (an absorbant form of charcoal). The best ways of using trees to capture carbon will also be explored. For example, willow and miscanthus grass are burned to generate power but the carbon dioxide released in the process can be trapped and stored underground. The project leader admits that carbon capture is not a substitute for reducing emissions. Emissions have to be drastically cut along side effective carbon capture. Carbon capture is needed because the UK has simply been too slow in its cutting of emissions!