Working with the carbon cycle — not against it

Nowadays, carbon has received a negative perception due of the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere that are driving global climate change. But it’s a fundamental building block for all life — and it has a cycle that acts as natural regulation system for the Earth. 

 

Plants and microorganisms absorb carbon dioxide using sunlight — and when they are eaten by animals, they convert to energy and are exhaled back out as CO2. If the plant is not eaten, it dies, decays and distributes carbon back into the soil and atmosphere.  


But this natural cycle has been disrupted by human activity. The proliferation of burning fossil fuels to generate energy has tipped the delicate carbon scales and we all need to act fast to solve this climate changing break in the cycle. 

A centuries’ long interruption 

The industrial revolution fundamentally transformed much of the world, ushering in increased production and efficiency that saw prices lowered and wages improved. It was the catalyst to modernization. However, it also ushered in the use of burning fossil fuels for energy at a colossal consumption rate. 

 

The issue with burning fossil fuels is that it releases carbon that had previously been locked deep within the earth for millions of years. Plainly put, this means that fossil fuels increases the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. 

 

Carbon from fossil fuels

Though burning coal to generate energy is more carbon-intensive, the carbon dioxide emitted by the consumption of gas and oil is also contributing to the climate. Without human intervention, all that carbon would have remained sealed in place. Instead, gas, oil and coal are the three primary sources for energy around the world — with China and the United States leading consumption — meaning fossil carbon is released at a massive scale.  

The need for energy is not going to subside. It is imperative for the planet that an alternative source for energy production — that contributes to climate change mitigation — is implemented at scale. 

Biogenic opportunities

While fossil carbon is taken from the earth’s crust and emitted it into the atmosphere, burning biomass for energy returns carbon to the atmosphere that was absorbed while the plants grew – resulting in net zero emissions, as no more carbon is added to the carbon cycle than we started with. In this way, biogenic carbon operates within the natural carbon cycle, rather than interrupting it.

A switch to biogenic carbon consumption for energy generation is a leap in the right direction but, with the global imperative to reach net zero, it is not enough to just reduce carbon dioxide production. It must be actively removed from the atmosphere. 

 

By combining bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), we can permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere and deliver negative emissions. BECCS generates energy using sustainably sourced biomass from forests that have spent their lifecycles absorbing CO2. Residues and waste wood from industries like construction and paper are collected and combusted to generate renewable electricity. 

 

The combustion process releases the CO2 previously absorbed by the biomass, and the BECCS process captures those emissions to safely store them deep in the earth, such as in deep geological formations. This removes carbon permanently from the atmosphere. Any emissions ensued during the BECCS process are accounted for before quantifying the net removals – ensuring the BECCS process is helping to combat the challenges caused by using fossil fuels and increased greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. 

Why go beyond reduction to removal? 

Collectively, the world is emitting around 50 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year; a staggering 40% more than back in 1990. Reduction is absolutely needed — but on its own, it is not enough. 

Even if everyone stopped all emissions tomorrow, historic CO2 in the world’s atmosphere will still be at dangerously high levels. By making the most of permanent, industrial solutions that can scale to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, we can unlock a brighter future for our planet. 

 

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology, like BECCS by Elimini, are now acknowledged as crucial to achieving net zero emissions — both to neutralize hard-to-abate emissions and sectors (like mining, transportation and aviation), and to remove excess historic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

 

BECCS is the most scalable of these technologies, making it one of the only options for combatting climate change that can be deployed rapidly and at an affordable cost in comparison to other CDRs. The carbon cycle has been interrupted — but by working with it, biogenic carbon and BECCS can help mend the break. 

Learn more about BECCS