Earth-moving research shows promise in climate-change fight

Clemson University Researchers Propose Innovative Solution to Climate Change

August 21, 2023

Clemson University researchers have developed a groundbreaking approach to address climate change and protect low-lying areas from rising sea levels. Their method involves burying large amounts of carbon to prevent its release into the atmosphere while simultaneously raising the earth’s surface.

Carbon SIRGE: A Solution for Climate Change and Flood Protection

The researchers propose a technique called Carbon SIRGE (Solid Injection to Raise Ground Elevation) to achieve their goals. This method involves converting wood into a slurry of particles and injecting it into the subsurface. By doing so, the carbon in the wood is stored underground, preventing its release into the atmosphere as it degrades. Additionally, the injection process gradually raises the ground elevation, providing protection against saltwater intrusion and flooding in vulnerable areas such as farmlands and wetlands.

Advantages of Carbon SIRGE

• Addresses two pressing issues: carbon storage and flood protection
• Utilizes readily available equipment
• Reduces carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere
• Less energy-intensive and expensive compared to conventional carbon-capture methods

How Carbon SIRGE Works

Carbon SIRGE simplifies the carbon capture process by leveraging the natural ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The wood slurry is injected into the subsurface, where the absence of oxygen prevents the degradation of wood and the release of carbon. Studies have shown that only a small fraction of carbon is likely to be released from buried wood, even over long time scales.

Research Findings and Future Implications

The researchers conducted field experiments to test the effectiveness of Carbon SIRGE. They injected wood particles into the ground multiple times at the same location and observed a significant increase in ground elevation. Computer simulations were also performed to gain a better understanding of the injection process. Scaling up Carbon SIRGE would require sustainable sources of wood and further design considerations.

The potential benefits of Carbon SIRGE are promising. The technique has the capacity to lift the ground by 1.5 millimeters per day, which could effectively mitigate nuisance flooding and protect coastal ecosystems from sea-level rise. Continued implementation over a decade could raise the ground by 5 meters, providing resilience against hurricane storm surges.

Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. SDG 13: Climate Action – Carbon SIRGE directly contributes to climate action by reducing carbon dioxide concentrations and addressing climate change.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Carbon SIRGE helps protect coastal cities and communities from flooding, ensuring

   SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   1. SDG 13: Climate Action

      • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
      • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
      • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
      • Target 13.5: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

   2. SDG 15: Life on Land

      • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services
      • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
      • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

   SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 13: Climate Action	Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning Target 13.5: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts	No specific indicators mentioned in the article.
   SDG 15: Life on Land	Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species	No specific indicators mentioned in the article.

   Analysis

   The issues highlighted in the article are related to climate change and the need for sustainable solutions to mitigate its impacts. The proposed technique, Carbon SIRGE, aims to address climate change by burying carbon and raising the earth’s surface to protect low-lying areas from sea-level rise. This aligns with SDG 13: Climate Action, which focuses on combating climate change and its impacts.

   Specific targets under SDG 13 that can be identified based on the article’s content include:

   1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
   2. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
   3. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
   4. Target 13.5: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

   However, the article does not mention any specific indicators that can be used to measure progress towards these targets.

   Additionally, the proposed technique of Carbon SIRGE involves the use of wood particles and injection technologies to store carbon and prevent its release into the atmosphere. This aligns with SDG 15: Life on Land, which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

   Specific targets under SDG 15 that can be identified based on the article’s content include:

   1. Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services
   2. Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
   3. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

   Similar to SDG 13, the article does not mention any specific indicators for measuring progress towards these targets.

   Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

   Source: news.clemson.edu

    

   

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