Saving the planet with appropriate biotechnology: 1. Diagnosing the problems

Abstract

We give a plain language guide to the Earth’s carbon cycle by briefly summarising the observations and origins of increased levels of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2 but including CH4 and N2O, in our atmosphere. The only tenable explanation for our atmosphere’s present state is that it is the consequence of mankind’s excessive use of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution onwards. We deal with the arguments that deny the truth of this, then illustrate the Earth’s global carbon cycle, which was almost exactly in equilibrium for several thousand years while humans were evolving, before industrial humans intervened. We describe how the excess greenhouse gas emissions are projected to change the global climate over this century and beyond and discuss ‘dangerous anthropogenic interference’ (DAI), ‘reasons for concern’ (RFCs) and climate tipping points. Finally, we give a short account of the various improved management, engineering and natural climate solutions advocated to increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, agricultural lands, and industry. This review concludes with our basic message, which is that cultivation of aquatic calcifiers (coccolithophore algae, corals, crustacea and molluscs) offers the only effective and permanent carbon sequestration strategy.

Saving the Planet with Appropriate Biotechnology: 5. An Action Plan

“…As discussed by Moore et al (2021a) Interestingly, the number of CCS plants under development between 2010 and 2017 reduced significantly, followed by a recent resurgence in development of the technology (Fig. 2).…”

“…In a recent paper Moore et al (2021a) gave a plain language guide to the Earth's carbon cycle by briefly summarising the observations and origins of increased levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, mainly CO2 but including CH4 and N2O. They concluded, following many other writers, that the only tenable explanation for our atmosphere's present state is that it is the consequence of mankind's 'dangerous anthropogenic interference' in making excessive use of fossil fuels onwards since the start of the Industrial Revolution.…”

“…The Earth's global carbon cycle was almost exactly in equilibrium for several thousand years while humans were evolving, before industrial humans intervened. Moore et al (2021a) describe how the excess greenhouse gas emissions of our recent industrial history are projected to change the future global climate over this century and beyond and discuss 'reasons for concern' (RFCs) and climate tipping points. Finally, the review gives a short account of the various improved management, engineering and natural climate solutions advocated to increase carbon storage and/or avoid greenhouse gas emissions across global forests, wetlands, grasslands, agricultural lands, and industry.…”

“…And, in all cases, the photosynthetically-produced biomass carbon sink is only ever a temporary sequestration because when the organism dies its biomass rots, and its sequestered carbon is returned to the atmosphere. Moore et al (2021a) suggest that forests should be planted for the intrinsic values of forests; for clean, oxygenated air, natural biodiversity, and restorative conservation of terrestrial ecosystems, rather than tree planting as a means to sequester atmospheric CO2.…”

“…The review of Moore et al (2021a) concludes with the basic message that cultivation of aquatic calcifiers (coccolithophore algae, corals, crustacea and molluscs) offers the only effective and permanent carbon sequestration strategy, because they enable the return of the excess CO2 to where it belongs; back into the distant future's fossil record. In a subsequent review, Moore et al (2021b) claim that shellfish cultivation, in particular, is the only industry on the planet that (a) feeds us, (b) permanently removes CO2 from our atmosphere, and, with care, could (c) engineer our marine habitats to maintain the health and biodiversity of those ecosystems into the future.…”