A weird technology has emerged as a leader in the quest for net zero.
Yet, unlike a trendy gadget, carbon capture holds the key to our species survival.
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The process, although bureaucratic, is a necessary step toward aligning policies with climate objectives.
One carbon capture method gaining traction is particularly intriguing: Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW).
How does enhanced rock weathering work?
Find a big stretch of land such as a farm or field.
Sprinkle a welcoming blanket of magic mineral dust over it.Then, rainwater falls.
The carbonate molecules are good for the oceans, which is where these molecules eventually end up.
On their way to the oceans, these molecules increase total carbon in the soil.
The world has a lot of land, and a lot of silicate rock.
And the UK has billions of tons of silicate rock material and other mine tailings sitting around as waste.
This stuff is abundant: silicate rocks make up 90% of the Earths crust.
Why is ERW technology the key enabler of global carbon capture?
The potential of ERW is immense, offering a sustainable and scalable approach to carbon removal around the globe.
We just dont have that sort of time and so creating a viable version of ERW requires two things.
The emerging ERW carbon credit market
And so, the critical flaw reveals itself.
We have the global solution to carbon capture and it works!
We need new technologies to solve the rock particle size problem in ERW.
Luckily, this wont hold back ERW from becoming the number one carbon capture technology of the decade.
The current state of the art isnt perfect no early innovation truly is so skepticism still lurks.
But in essence, this is it.
Amongst many other serious contenders, from giant vacuums to biomass burial, this is the solution.
The process has already begun.
