New Technology to Help Remove Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere

Photo from Lithos

A handful of dark grey dust might not look like anything special, but it might just be a new technology that scientists and policy-makers can use to mitigate the effects of climate change.

This dust is made from Basalt, an abundant rock made through the cooling of lava. Currently, most of the effort put into combatting climate change focuses on preventing carbon dioxide from being emitted, however, it now seems likely that active removal of CO2 from the atmosphere would be crucial as well. While this is most commonly achieved through tree planting, other technologies are being tested to see how we can capture the carbon as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is where the Basalt comes in.

When Basalt weathers from rainfall, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere where it is washed away and stored in the ocean. When on a cliff face, this process happens very slowly, but when turned to dust and spread across fields, the increased surface area speeds up the process significantly. Additionally, it also helps the soil, increasing the yield from the same fields.

Sourcing Basalt is pretty easy as well, as it is the bedrock under a greater percentage of Earth than any other rock.

While Basalt alone can not reverse climate change, it is one more tool that can be used to make a difference.

Sources

• https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65648361

• https://geology.com/rocks/basalt.shtml

• https://www.fastcompany.com/90797750/this-startup-uses-volcanic-rock-dust-to-capture-carbon-on-farms