Carbon Sequestration

Introduction

Carbon sequestration refers to the long term storage of carbon in various biological and aquatic habitats to prevent it from being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Carbon sequestration is a natural process that occurs naturally as part of the carbon cycle. Its improvement could aid in the reduction of global climate change in the atmosphere, which has been rising due to fossil fuel emissions. From trees to phytoplankton, all organisms that conduct photosynthesis collect carbon dioxide from the air and store it as glucose molecules. Artificial processes, such as large- scale, artificial capture and sequestration of industrially produced CO2 using subterranean saline aquifers, have been designed to produce similar outcomes.

What do we Mean by Carbon Sequestration?

Carbon dioxide is the most abundant and rapid greenhouse gas produced. The method of trapping and capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide is known as carbon sequestration. It is the one method of lowering carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere with the purpose of slowing global warming.

 The United States Geological Survey is assessing two types of carbon sequestration: geologic and biologic. The aim is to keep carbon in solidified form and dissolved forms stable so that it does not absorb the heat of the atmosphere. The method has a lot of promise for lowering people’s carbon footprints.

The Functioning of Carbon Sequestration

• The method of carbon sequestration utilised has an impact on how it functions. However, carbon reserve and storage is one of the technologies being known by policymakers, engineers scientists(CSS).CSS usually refers to  capturing carbon dioxide at its source before releasing it into the atmosphere, but it can also refer to strategies for removing carbon dioxide from the air, such as scrubbing towers and artificial trees. 
• It is a type of geo engineering in which carbon dioxide is separated from other gases in industrial emissions first. It is then compressed and transported to a secure facility for long-term storage, where it is safely protected from the atmosphere. 
• After the carbon dioxide has been caught and transferred, it can be stored in other suitable sites, such as deep saline deposits. These are sedimentary rocks with water containing large amounts of dissolved salts in their pore spaces.
•  Carbon dioxide might be stored in exhausted oil and gas reservoirs, as well as the deep ocean. These sites are designed in such a way that the carbon dioxide generated there will be put to better use than if it were released into the atmosphere. 
• Carbon sequestration in the water, for example, means that plankton at the ocean’s surface will transform carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, much like trees and land plants do on land.

Types of Carbon Sequestration

GEOLOGICAL CARBON SEQUESTRATION– Carbon dioxide is captured in subsurface geologic formations such as rocks and other elements in this way. Carbon dioxide will be released from industrial sources such as steel and cement plants, as well as energy – related sources such as power plants and natural gas processing facilities, and injected into porous rocks for a long – period. Carbon capture and storage like this permits fossil fuels to be used until a more sustainable energy source is developed on a global scale.

Thus, this results in geologic formation.

Biological Carbon Sequestration– This is the carbon dioxide storage in plants such as grasslands and forests, as well as soil and oceans. This process occurs in various biological habitats.

1. a) In oceans– A negative atmospheric flow occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, while a positive and negative atmospheric flux occurs when the ocean releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
2. b) In trees– When tree branches and leaves die and fall to the ground, the carbon they have stored is released into the earth.
3. c) In soil – Fortunately, soil may also store carbon as carbonates, which are formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in water and percolates into the soil over thousands of years.
4. d) In grasslands – Grasslands have the ability to sequester more carbon underground , and when they burn, the carbon is static in the roots and soil rather than in the leaves .

Thus, this results in biologic formation.

Impacts of Carbon Sequestration

• Earth’s woods, farms, and grasslands have historically collected about 25% of human carbon emissions. 
• The upper layer of the ocean absorbs as much as 30% of the carbon dioxide we emit by burning fossil fuels. However, this increases the acidity of the water, making it more difficult for marine animals to develop their shells.
• Scientists and the fishing industry are working together to evaluate and alter fishing operations as a result of carbon sequestration which is also impacting the geologic and biologic creation.

Applications of Carbon Sequestration

• Many of the policies focus on preserving carbon sink habitats like forests, agricultural cultivation and land use methods like carbon farming and agroforestry that boost carbon sequestration, frequently through financial incentives for farmers and land carers.  
• Many policies point to the fossil fuel industry’s role in the development of the technology and in advocating for ccs legislation, arguing that it would allow the industry to greenwash itself.

Conclusion

Carbon capture and sequestration is a promising method for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and even removing CO2 from the environment. CCS has the distinct benefit of having been proven technologically feasible and utilised on projects extending back several decades. Its foremost flow is that actually mobilising economic actors is still too expensive and uncertain. Local government hustles and community caution often affect complex projects and obfuscate the prospects of a technology that, for the time being, remains a deus ex machina.