LEGO-LIKE BRICKS CREATED BY STARTUP REMOVES CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE AIR
Naturally, the best defence against carbon emissions comes from plants and trees. In addition to "breathing out" oxygen, they maintain global equilibrium by capturing CO2 during photosynthesis. But the carbon they hold is released back into the atmosphere when they decompose. Through carbon casting, a startup called Graphyte has now discovered an inexpensive and practically permanent way to halt this process, saving the planet from tons of emissions.
The company's website explains the following, “After decades of working in the climate change space, we were committed to finding a better way to remove carbon. We knew that energy was critical. That’s why we started with the power of nature. Graphyte realised that the carbon captured in plant matter could be preserved by eliminating the causes of biomass decomposition—microbes and the water they depend on. Drying the biomass eliminates microbes, and impermeable barriers prevent water and gas from restarting the decomposition process.”
A LEGO-like brick that can be buried underground and subsequently tracked is Graphyte's solution. The procedure is as follows: first, they gather agricultural and forestry industry byproducts that would otherwise be burned or allowed to rot. After that, the company dries it to get rid of microbes and halt the decomposition process. After that, the biomass is compressed into thick blocks and sealed with an impermeable barrier that is safe for the environment and keeps microorganisms out. When they're prepared, they are buried ten feet below the surface and fitted with a sensor.
The company claims that this technique has levelled production costs at less than $100 per ton of CO2 while requiring very little energy. In contrast, The Washington Post reports that the cost of alternative carbon removal methods varies from $600 to $1,200 per ton. A long-term solution is provided by the shoebox-sized blocks, which can stay there for a millennium with proper care. Their block locations can be utilised as operational agricultural land or as solar farms.
However, Graphyte's carbon casting project gives hope because it illustrates the variety of approaches both large and small businesses can take to combat global warming. We can all help to safeguard our future by actively seeking to minimise emissions at every stage of the process in addition to accepting responsibility.