View source for Desert carbon Farming To Curb CO2

<br>Desert 'carbon farming' to curb CO2<br><br><br>1 August 2013<br><br><br>Share<br><br><br>close panel<br><br><br>Share page<br><br><br>Copy link<br><br><br>About sharing<br><br><br>By Matt McGrath<br><br><br>Environment correspondent, BBC News<br><br><br>Scientists say that planting large numbers of jatropha trees in desert areas might be a reliable method of curbing emissions of CO2.<br><br><br>Dubbed "carbon farming", researchers state the concept is financially competitive with high-tech carbon capture and storage tasks.<br><br><br>But critics say the idea might be have unanticipated, negative effects including increasing food rates.<br><br><br>The research study has been published, external in the journal Earth System Dynamics.<br><br><br>Seeds of modification<br><br><br>Jatropha curcas is a plant that came from in Central America and is very well adapted to extreme conditions consisting of extremely dry deserts.<br><br><br>It is already grown as a biofuel, external in some parts of the world since its seeds can produce oil.<br><br><br>In this study, German scientists revealed that one hectare of jatropha might capture approximately 25 tonnes of co2 from the environment every year. The scientists based their quotes on trees currently growing in trial plots in Egypt and in the Negev desert.<br><br><br>"The outcomes are frustrating," stated Prof Klaus Becker, from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart.<br><br><br>"There was great development, a good reaction from these plants. I feel there will be no problem trying it on a much bigger scale, for instance ten thousand hectares in the start," he said.<br><br><br>According to the scientists a  that would cover 3 percent of the Arabian desert would take in all the CO2 produced by vehicles and trucks in Germany over a twenty years duration.<br> <br><br>The researchers state that a vital element of the strategy would be the accessibility of desalination centers. This indicates that at first, any plantations would be restricted to seaside locations.<br><br><br>They are hoping to establish bigger trials in desert areas of Oman or Qatar. Prof Becker states that unlike other plans that just offset the carbon that individuals produce, the planting of jatropha might be a good, short-term service to environment modification.<br><br><br>"I think it is a great concept due to the fact that we are really extracting co2 from the environment - and it is totally various in between drawing out and preventing."<br><br><br>According to the researcher's computations the expenses of suppressing co2 through the planting of trees would be between 42 and 63 euros per tonne. This makes it competitive with other methods, such as the more high tech carbon capture and storage, external (CCS).<br><br><br>A variety of nations are currently trialling this technology, external however it has yet to be released commercially.<br><br><br>Growing jatropha not just soaks up CO2 but has other advantages. The plants would help to make desert locations more habitable, and the plant's seeds can be gathered for biofuel state the researchers, providing a financial return.<br><br><br>"Jatropha is ideal to be become biokerosene - it is even much better than biodiesel," stated Prof Becker.<br><br><br>But other specialists in this location are not encouraged. They point to the truth that in 2007 and 2008 great deals of jatropha trees were planted for biofuel, specifically in Africa. But much of these endeavors ended in tears,, external as the plants were not really successful in coping with dry conditions.<br><br><br>Lucy Hurn is the biofuels campaign manager for the charity, Actionaid. She states that while jatropha was as soon as seen as the terrific, green hope the reality was extremely various.<br><br><br>"When jatropha was introduced it was seen as a wonder crop, it would grow on scrubland or limited land," she stated.<br><br><br>"But there are often people who need limited land to graze their animals, they are getting food from that area - we wouldn't class the land as minimal."<br><br><br>She mentioned that jatropha is highly poisonous and can pollute the land it is grown on, even in a desert. And she also had issues about the fairness of the concept.<br><br><br>"It is still someone else's land. Why enter and grow these huge plantations to handle a problem these people didn't really cause?"<br><br><br>Follow Matt on Twitter, external.<br><br><br>More on this story<br><br><br>'Carpets of seaweed' grown for fuel. Video, 00:03:05'Carpets of seaweed' grown for fuel<br><br><br>1 July 2013<br><br><br>Biofuels are 'unreasonable strategy'<br><br><br>Published<br><br><br>15 April 2013<br><br><br>Related web links<br><br><br>Universität Hohenheim<br><br><br>European Geosciences Union<br><br><br>The BBC is not accountable for the content of external sites.<br>