> Previous studies have estimated this “enhanced” rock weathering could store 215 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the next 75 years if spread across croplands globally.
This is an average rate of 2.8 Billion tons of CO2 per year. We currently emit over 35 Billion tons of CO2 every year so this could potentially offset about 8% of global emissions. Obviously not enough to get us to net zero but that is very significant in my opinion.
I'm not certain how the economics of this solution would work. Is it easy to source, produce, and distribute this crushed volcanic rock? Would farmers get carbon credits for doing so? Or direct subsidies paid for by taxes on net-positive CO2 generating industries (which ironically is a lot of Ag itself)?
This is an average rate of 2.8 Billion tons of CO2 per year. We currently emit over 35 Billion tons of CO2 every year so this could potentially offset about 8% of global emissions. Obviously not enough to get us to net zero but that is very significant in my opinion.
I'm not certain how the economics of this solution would work. Is it easy to source, produce, and distribute this crushed volcanic rock? Would farmers get carbon credits for doing so? Or direct subsidies paid for by taxes on net-positive CO2 generating industries (which ironically is a lot of Ag itself)?