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Global land and ocean temperature change since 1880. Source: National Climatic Data Center
There’s little doubt we’re living in a warming world. Since the 1880s, our planet’s surface has increased in temperature by some 0.8°C. This may not sound much but as with all averages, it hides a range of extremes, with some parts of the world warming by 2.5°C in just the past few decades. The weight of scientific evidence shows that much of this recent temperature rise has been driven by the release of greenhouse gases produced by human activity.
A consensus is building that to avoid catastrophic climate change we need to keep the average world temperature from warming 2°C above pre-industrial levels, just 1.2°C greater than today. But to stop this heat building up in the air, the amount of warming gases in the atmosphere must come down and fast. Amongst all the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2) has been responsible for the greatest amount of warming since industrialisation. Unfortunately, CO2 can survive in the atmosphere for over a century, The practical upshot of which is we are breathing air that contains carbon dioxide which has been warming our planet since the beginning of industrialisation. As if this wasn’t bad enough, our planet’s ability to soak up CO2 is falling while the amount we’re producing is increasing. It’s not a good omen for the future. Not only must we stop emitting lots of carbon dioxide, we urgently need to take it out of the atmosphere. The key question is how?
There’s little doubt we’re facing a huge challenge and there will be no quick fix. The world will need to start using our planet’s carbon far more efficiently and this will require big changes in the way we live, work and play. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Technology can play a major role and help in these testing times. Here at Carbonscape we believe we’ve come up with an answer that will help the air breathe a little easier. By bringing together nature and patented microwave technology, we’ve found an economical and efficient way to turn plant matter into a host of green by-products, allowing us to create sustainable fuels and lock carbon away for thousands of years. The science has been tested independently and funds secured to build an industrial-scale operation. With a little help from modern technology, we’re helping nature fix the world.
Charcoal produced by Carbonscape’s prototype can fix carbon for thousands of years.