Environmental and health impacts of atmospheric CO2 removal by enhanced rock weathering depend on nations’ energy mix
Authors
Eufrasio, Rafael M
Koh, SC Lenny
Publication Date
2022-12Journal Title
Communications Earth & Environment
ISSN
2662-4435
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
3
Issue
1
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Eufrasio, R. M., Kantzas, E. P., Edwards, N. R., Holden, P. B., Pollitt, H., Mercure, J., Koh, S. L., & et al. (2022). Environmental and health impacts of atmospheric CO2 removal by enhanced rock weathering depend on nations’ energy mix. Communications Earth & Environment, 3 (1) https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00436-3
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Enhanced Rock Weathering is a proposed Carbon Dioxide Removal technology involving the application of crushed silicate rocks, such as basalt, to agricultural soils with potential co-benefits for crops and soils, and mitigation of ocean acidification. Here we address the requirement of diverse stakeholders for informative studies quantifying possible environmental and health risks of Enhanced Rock Weathering. Using life-cycle assessment modelling of potential supply chain impacts for twelve nations undertaking Enhanced Rock Weathering deployment to deliver up to net 2 Gt CO<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> y<jats:sup>r−1</jats:sup> CDR, we find that rock grinding rather than mining exerts the dominant influence on environmental impacts. This finding holds under both a business-as-usual and clean energy mix scenario to 2050 but transitioning to undertaking Enhanced Rock Weathering in the future with low carbon energy systems improves the sustainability of the Enhanced Rock Weathering supply chain. We find that Enhanced Rock Weathering is competitive with other large-scale Carbon Dioxide Removal strategies in terms of energy and water demands.</jats:p>
Keywords
Article, /704/172/4081, /704/106/694/682, /706/1143, /704/844/4066, /704/844/685, article
Sponsorship
Leverhulme Trust (Rc-2015-029, RC-2015-029)
Identifiers
s43247-022-00436-3, 436
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00436-3
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/336878
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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