Is Volcanic Dust the Modern Fairy Dust? - 314

In the race to save the planet, scientists are leading the charge to not only ditch coal, oil, and gas but to find ways to suck CO2 out of the air. Governments are funding high-tech solutions like direct air capture. CO2 is pulled out of the air with machines and pumped deep underground. But a low-tech solution may steal the show.

We have a prime low-tech option called volcanic rock. One property of volcanic rock is it is a natural absorber of carbon dioxide. It has worked well for as long as there have been volcanoes and rain. Rain combines with atmospheric CO2 and forms carbonic acid. Some silicate minerals dissolve when slightly acid rain falls on volcanic rock. This is called weathering. When it happens, bicarbonate forms, which naturally drains down riverways to the ocean, settling on the ocean floor, or used by corals, clams, and many other sea creatures to make their shells and skeletons?

You can speed up the process. Finely ground volcanic rock weathers quickly when applied to fields, lawns, or forests. The benefits of spreading this volcanic rock are being tested worldwide, including in Michigan. In addition to pulling CO2 out of the air and sending it to the oceans, the weathering volcanic dust releases calcium, magnesium, and other plant-friendly nutrients enriching the soil.

Many companies are interested in the process because, if they can prove they are sequestering CO2, they can enter the carbon market and sell their carbon credits. The chemical reactions in soil are complicated, and measuring the effectiveness of spreading volcanic dust is challenging. One top notch evaluation company based in Finland, Puro.earth, has developed methods to verify rock weathering. A Scottish company, UNDO, has already been accredited by Puro.earth, and Microsoft has purchased carbon credits from UNDO.

So far, most funding by governments to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere has been high-tech (and high-cost) direct air capture. But governments now see a potential low-cost alternative by spreading volcanic dust. The United States Department of Energy has awarded five enhanced weathering projects, joining projects already funded by the European Union.

With new and alarming record-high temperatures experienced globally, responsible governments are looking at any means to "get the carbon out." All options are being evaluated. Here is how scientist Gabrielle Walker evaluates the current situation: "In this all-hands-on-deck moment, collaboration and open-mindedness may be the key to avoiding the worst effects of climate change. All carbon removal solutions need support. This is not a zero-sum game. This is an attempt to get to net-zero (emissions)  at the speed we need."

It is time to meet the challenge head-on. The UN stresses that we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove atmospheric carbon dioxide. Let's hope volcanic dust is the new effective climate fairy dust we need.

References:

 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Climate Portal, “Enhanced Rock Weathering”

Science News 29JUN2024 “Crushing the Climate” one of SN’s series of solutions called the Climate Fix

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