Desert 'carbon Farming' To Curb CO2

Desert 'carbon farming' to suppress CO2

1 August 2013

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By Matt McGrath

Environment correspondent, BBC News

Scientists say that planting big numbers of jatropha trees in desert locations might be a reliable way of suppressing emissions of CO2.

Dubbed "carbon farming", scientists state the idea is financially competitive with modern carbon capture and storage jobs.

But critics say the concept could be have unanticipated, negative impacts consisting of driving up food prices.

The research study has been released, external in the journal Earth System Dynamics.

Seeds of modification

Jatropha curcas is a plant that originated in Central America and is effectively adapted to harsh conditions consisting of incredibly dry deserts.

It is currently grown as a biofuel, external in some parts of the world due to the fact that its seeds can produce oil.

In this research study, German scientists revealed that one hectare of jatropha could capture approximately 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. The researchers based their quotes on trees currently growing in trial plots in Egypt and in the Negev desert.

"The outcomes are frustrating," said Prof Klaus Becker, from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart.

"There was great growth, a good response from these plants. I feel there will be no issue attempting it on a much bigger scale, for example ten thousand hectares in the beginning," he stated.

According to the researchers a plantation that would cover three percent of the Arabian desert would soak up all the CO2 produced by vehicles and trucks in Germany over a 20 year duration.

The researchers say that a critical aspect of the strategy would be the schedule of desalination centers. This suggests that initially, any plantations would be confined to seaside locations.

They are wishing to establish bigger trials in desert areas of Oman or Qatar. Prof Becker says that unlike other plans that just offset the carbon that individuals produce, the planting of jatropha might be a great, brief term option to environment change.

"I believe it is a great idea since we are really drawing out co2 from the atmosphere - and it is entirely various in between drawing out and avoiding."

According to the scientist's calculations the expenses of curbing co2 through the planting of trees would be in between 42 and 63 euros per tonne. This makes it competitive with other techniques, such as the more high tech carbon capture and storage, external (CCS).

A number of nations are presently trialling this innovation, external however it has yet to be deployed commercially.

Growing jatropha not just soaks up CO2 however has other benefits. The plants would help to make desert areas more habitable, and the plant's seeds can be gathered for biofuel say the researchers, providing a financial return.

"Jatropha is ideal to be turned into biokerosene - it is even much better than biodiesel," stated Prof Becker.

But other specialists in this area are not convinced. They indicate the fact that in 2007 and 2008 great deals of jatropha trees were planted for biofuel, particularly in Africa. But numerous of these ventures ended in tears,, external as the plants were not extremely successful in coping with dry conditions.

Lucy Hurn is the biofuels campaign supervisor for the charity, Actionaid. She states that while jatropha was once viewed as the fantastic, green hope the reality was extremely different.

"When jatropha was presented it was viewed as a wonder crop, it would grow on scrubland or marginal land," she said.

"But there are often individuals who require minimal land to graze their animals, they are getting food from that location - we would not class the land as minimal."

She mentioned that jatropha is highly toxic and can contaminate the land it is grown on, even in a desert. And she likewise had issues about the fairness of the concept.

"It is still someone else's land. Why enter and grow these massive plantations to handle a problem these people didn't in fact cause?"