In an effort to mitigate the impact of their pollution on the climate, several big companies have invested in a plan to trap carbon dioxide using rocks. Google, H&M Group, and Salesforce are among the companies that collectively agreed to pay Terradot $27 million to remove 90,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Plan: Enhanced Rock Weathering
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a strategy that involves speeding up a natural process called rock weathering. Rainfall naturally breaks down rocks, releasing calcium and magnesium, which triggers a chemical reaction that traps CO2 in water as bicarbonate. Groundwater carrying this bicarbonate eventually makes its way to the ocean, where it stores the carbon and keeps it out of the atmosphere.
Terradot, a startup backed by Sheryl Sandberg, uses ERW to capture carbon dioxide from rocks. The company takes basalt from quarries in southern Brazil to nearby farms, where farmers use the finely-ground basalt to manage soil pH, with carbon removal as an added benefit. Terradot has partnered with Brazil’s agricultural research agency (EMBRAPA) to use this strategy on over one million hectares of land.
The Deal: Google’s $60 Million Investment
Google has announced its own deal with Terradot to purchase an additional 200,000 tons of carbon removal. While the company declined to disclose the cost of this deal, it is estimated to be around $60 million if the price per ton is similar to the Frontier agreement.
The Benefits and Challenges
While ERW has significant backing from big companies, there are still concerns about its costs, safety, and potential to delay a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. Experts say carbon removal is no substitute for preventing greenhouse gas emissions in the first place.
Oliver Jagoutz, a professor of geology at MIT, notes that "it’s a big deal" but acknowledges that there are challenges ahead. "The tricky part will be trying to count how much CO2 Terradot actually manages to trap," he says.
Measuring Carbon Removal
Terradot plans to take soil samples to assess how much CO2 is captured based on how the rock degrades over time. However, it’s harder to determine how much calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate makes it to the ocean to permanently sequester CO2. Fertilizer in the soil can potentially limit how much carbon is captured through ERW.
The Importance of Measuring Carbon Removal
Google admits that measuring carbon removal with precision is a challenge. "Right now, it’s hard to develop highly rigorous measurement tools without deploying this approach widely in the real world," the company says.
Terradot and other companies are working on developing measurement tools to assess the effectiveness of ERW. However, Jagoutz notes that "we don’t have the luxury to overthink it right now." "Why not try?" he asks.
The Role of Carbon Removal
While carbon removal is an important step in mitigating climate change, experts agree that it’s not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Google’s carbon footprint has grown as it builds out energy-hungry AI data centers, and the company plans to develop advanced nuclear reactors and new solar and wind farms to power its data centers with clean energy.
Kanoff notes that "any of the partners we’re even thinking about working with have some of the most aggressive emission reduction strategies of any companies in the world." He emphasizes that both carbon removal and emissions reductions are essential tools in addressing climate change.
Conclusion
The investment by big companies like Google, H&M Group, and Salesforce in ERW is a significant step towards mitigating the impact of pollution on the climate. However, there are challenges ahead, particularly in measuring the effectiveness of carbon removal. While ERW is not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it’s an important tool in addressing climate change.
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Comments
- Comment 1: This is a great step towards reducing carbon emissions.
- Comment 2: While ERW is an important tool in addressing climate change, it’s not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Comment 3: The investment by big companies like Google and H&M Group will help accelerate the development of measurement tools to assess the effectiveness of ERW.
New Comments
- New Comment: What are some potential challenges ahead in implementing ERW on a large scale?
- New Comment: How can we ensure that ERW is implemented in a way that maximizes carbon capture while minimizing costs and environmental impacts?
