Organisms that produce synthetic fuel and suck carbon out of the air are just some of the possibilities of ‘engineering biology’ – if policymakers can shepherd the industry towards success.
The view from the Louisiana state capitol. Louisiana accounts for nearly one-sixth of U.S. oil-refining capacity.
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Carbon capture is turning the oil and gas industry into a critical player for mitigating climate change – while its products continue to heat up the planet.
An old-growth forest of noble fir trees at Marys Peak in Oregon’s Coast Range.
Beverly Law
The combination of the source of the CO₂ and its end use determines its environmental and economic benefits or consequences.
COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, centre, attends a plenary session at the COP28 UN Climate Summit, Dec. 8, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Al-Jaber is an oil executive whose statements on fossil-fuel phase outs have proved controversial.
(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Does the science support the need for a fossil fuel phase out to reach 1.5 C? The answer depends on whether we believe that carbon capture and removal technologies can be deployed safely at scale.
People walk through the COP28 UN Climate Summit on Dec. 6, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Carbon capture and sequestration can play a role in limiting warming but the nuances of its application are far more complicated than just planting trees. Getting it wrong could make warming worse.
Geoengineering includes techniques to reflect solar energy.
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Some geoengineering techniques are better understood than others. The US is investing in capturing carbon dioxide from the air, but ideas to block the Sun’s rays are raising big concerns.
Tourists flock to experience the heat in Death Valley, Calif.
(AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
With tourists flocking in droves to ‘experience’ heat waves, perhaps it’s time for everyone to take a good hard look at their individual contribution to global warming.
Australia wants to allow export of CO₂ for the purpose of “sequestration”, or storage under the sea. Fossil fuel companies, or research organisations, would need to first apply for an export permit.
Warmer temperatures could lengthen the growing season of trees and consequently increase their growth rate.
(Shutterstock)
Fossil fuel power plants can avoid most emissions by capturing carbon dioxide and pumping it underground. But to be a climate solution, that carbon has to stay stored for thousands of years.
Natural gas power plants could find a lifeline in carbon capture and storage.
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Peatlands have always had a place in art, writing and poetry. In times of global warming these cultural reflections can help open up debate about the biodiversity and climate crisis.
The ocean twilight zone could store vast amounts of carbon captured from the atmosphere, but first we need a 4D monitoring system to ensure ramping up carbon storage does no harm.
The science tells us this is our last chance to avert planetary disaster. Accepting our feelings of intense loss – for ourselves and the Earth – can propel us into action, writes Joelle Gergis.
More wind turbines can increase renewable energy, but transmission lines are crucial, too.
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