Folke Günther Carbon dioxide, deciding for our future Folke Günther FG Holon Ecosystem Consultants Lund Sweden

Folke Günther The climate situation of today is far from satisfying Increasing frequency of abnormal weather situations Destabilised El Niño – Monsoon cycles Increasing risk of non-linear climate changes, ’tipping points’ FG

Folke Günther A simple overwiev of some of the basic stuff 1.On different types of systems 2.On non-linear behaviour of complex systems 3.On carbon chemistry (while you are awake) FG

Folke Günther After that: We move on to the sexier parts of the story 4.An easy way to get rid of carbon dioxide 5.How this could be done easy 6.How to promote massive sequestration FG

Folke Günther A few words on systems theory FG 1

Folke Günther All systems are not the same Simple systems FG

Folke Günther Characteristics of simple systems Can be understod from knowledge of their parts Show predictable behaviour such as: –Trajectories –Calculability –Back-tracking Rather few components make them intuitively understandable FG

Folke Günther All systems are not of the same type Simple systems Complicated systems FG

Folke Günther Complcated systems FG

Folke Günther Complicated systems are of the same type as simple systems Can be understod from knowledge of their parts Therfore: Show predictable behaviour such as: –Trajectories –Calculability –Back-tracking But: Too many components make an intuitive understanding impossible FG

Folke Günther Complex systems FG

Folke Günther Characteristics of complex system Can not be understod from (even total) knowledge of their parts Therfore: Show unpredictable, nonlinear behaviour such as: –Catastrophes –Bifurcations –Emergence Non-linear behaviour is typical for complex systems The system contains more than can be calculated from knowledge of its parts FG Bifurcation (tipping) point

Folke Günther FG Examples of complex systems

Folke Günther Examples of non-linear behaviour in complex systems FG 2

Folke Günther Future Past FG Present Bifurcations (Tipping points): Abrupt changes in complex systems

Folke Günther The melting of the North polar cap –Cause: Decrease of the ice-cap decrease albedo  more melting  further albedo decrease  sweet water release –Possible result: sweet water from the polar cap closes NADW The disruption of the Gulf Stream –Cause: Sweet-water prevents sinking of cold,salt water – no NADW –Ice-age in Northern Europe and North America –cooling (The change to Younger Dryas evolved in about 10 years, lasted 1300 years) Examples of tipping points in the global system FG

Folke Günther The change to cold conditions, during which the surface temperature temperature of the Northern Hemisphere dropped precipitously precipitously (nearly 15ºC in Greenland) in a series of abrupt, decade-scale jumps, due to the loss of the NADW. This abrupt climate change is known as the "Younger "Younger Dryas" Dryas" event, lasting about 1,300 years. FG The Younger Dryas FG

Folke Günther Examples of non-linear behaviour of the global system Methane emissions from the melting tundra –Multiplied greenhouse effect  heating  More melting, more methane  The calving of the Ross-ice –increasing sea level  decreased brake  7 m sea level increase within a 20 year period FG

Folke Günther On carbon chemistry FG 3

Folke Günther Carbon has three pricipal chemical constellations 1.The reduced form These compounds are easily oxidized into carbon dioxide FG

Folke Günther Carbon has three pricipal chemical constellations These compounds are stable under normal conditions, and not easily oxidized into carbon dioxide Diamond 1.The reduced form 2.The neutral form FG

Folke Günther Carbon has three pricipal chemical constellations These compounds are stable under normal conditions, and not easily oxidized into carbon dioxide Anthracite, coal The neutral form FG

Folke Günther Coal formation FG

Folke Günther Carbon has three pricipal chemical constellations These compounds are stable under normal conditions, and not easily oxidized into carbon dioxide Charcoal, biochar 2.The neutral form Produced during pyrolysis /C(H 2 O)/ n biomass heating of biomass with reduced oxygen access FG Oxidation resistace time: 50,000 years (Ogawa)

Folke Günther Carbon has three pricipal chemical constellations Charcoal, biochar 2.The neutral form /C(H 2 O)/ n biomass FG These compounds are stable under normal conditions, and not easily oxidized into carbon dioxide Oxidation resistace time: 50,000 years (Ogawa)

Folke Günther Carbon has three pricipal chemial constellations 3.The oxidized form Sunlight Heat This compound is stable under normal conditions, and need an energy input to be converted into other compounds 1.Heat reflecting 2.= Greenhouse gas Gt ( tonnes) extra produced during industrialisation Carbon dioxide FG

Folke Günther An easy way to catch and get rid of carbon dioxide FG 4

Folke Günther Statement: There is already too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere You can not solve that problem by releasing less every year You have to remove some of the carbon dioxide How? FG

Folke Günther By that, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere. The process is called carbon sequestration /C(H 2 O)/ n When plants add solar energy to the carbon dioxide molecules, carbon dioxide is converted into biomass FG

Folke Günther However… /C(H 2 O)/ n After a century, or less, the biomass decomposes and releases the carbon dioxide again It is like putting dirt under the carpet. It will reveal… FG

Folke Günther As carbon as charcoal is extremely stable If you bury it in the soil, it stays there for thousands of years (2 000 –> ) FG But…

Folke Günther So, if you convert biomass into charcoal /C(H 2 O)/ n FG

Folke Günther /C(H 2 O)/ n..and bury it into the soil..

Folke Günther Then, you have created a pathway for carbon dioxide into a semi- permanent storage FG

Folke Günther The problem summarized FG 5

Folke Günther avg. global temp (CH2) n 475 Gt 8 Gt 7 Gt 6 Gt 5 Gt 4 Gt 3 Gt 483 Gt 490 Gt 496 Gt 501 Gt 505 Gt 508 Gt FG Excess CO 2 in atmosphere 475 Gt After 2008: Constantly diminishing emissions:

Folke Günther FG

Folke Günther Just successive decrease of the emissions, however successful might lead to a cata- stro- phe FG

Folke Günther Successive decrease PLUS sequstration Might solve the pro- blem

Folke Günther Charcoal in the soil is certainly not inactive FG

Folke Günther Terra Preta: A 2000 Year Old Soil Experiment (Steiner, 2002) Man-Made Soil Plots Average size 20 ha Carbon dated at 800 B.C- 500 A.D High Carbon Content (4-20%, typically 9%) Terra preta yields as much as three-fold the surrounding infertile soils. Danny Day, Eprida FG

Folke Günther …about three times crop yield Oxisol (normal rain forest soil) Terra Preta (anthrosol: charcoal enriched oxisol) FG

Folke Günther Charcoal works as an adsorption lattice for micro-organsism and nutrient particles FG

Folke Günther FG

Folke Günther Micro- organisms inside the cavities of a charcoal particle FG

Folke Günther 1 gramme of charcoal might have an inner area of about 400 sq. meters

Ten grammes of charcoal has a surface about the size of a football pitch

Folke Günther Charcoal addition to the soil provides nutrient and water storage for mycorrhizal fungi Their hyphae invade charcoal pores and support spore reproduction Ogawa Kansai Environmental Charcoal is sought out by soil micro- organism Fungi on New Char Fungi on 100 Yr Old Char FG

Folke Günther The plants seek contact with microorganisms Richard Haard, February 12, 2007 FG Charcoal after one year of application

Folke Günther The production of charcoal gives by-products useful for industry and homes FG

Folke Günther Progression of the pyrolysis process Danny Day, Eprida FG

Folke Günther Heat To industry Charcoal production plant Danny Day, Eprida Ammonia FG 40 %

Folke Günther If excess nutrients from settlements are used for carbon loading, this lead to a win-win situation FG

Folke Günther Now, we have lots of good reasons to add charcoal to the soil counteracting the greehouse effect (the ethics of giving ourselves and our children a future) increasing soil fertility (providing more food and a healthier landscape) providing industrial raw material in a situation with fossil fuel scarcity FG

Folke Günther Is that enough? FG

Folke Günther Probably not FG

Folke Günther To really get people’s attention, you have to talk money FG

Folke Günther What about a fair carbon tax? FG

Folke Günther If you want to emit net carbon dioxide: Today’s situation :

Folke Günther  And you must have an emission permit FG  You have to pay a tax

Folke Günther Tax and permit fund FG $ Payment Permission Emission The PPE model

Folke Günther If you decrease the atmospheric carbon dioxide: FG But:

Folke Günther  And you should be the only one who has the right to sell emission permits  You should be paid the same amount as the emission tax FG

Folke Günther /C(H 2 O)/ n Carbon sequestration fund $ FG Sequestration Validation Payment The SVP model

Folke Günther System overview FG

Folke Günther A prosperous way down? FG

Folke Günther We burn our petrol candles increasing the climate problems but now we can reverse them turn CO2 to char and bury it into soil Glad tidings we bring To you and your kin Get rid of the very Problem Go bury´ it into soil! Turn CO2 to charcoal Turn CO2 to charcoal Turn CO2 to charcoal And bury it into soil Glad tidings we bring To you and your kin; Get rid of the very Problem Go bury it into soil! Song and music: Anders Linder Idea: Folke Günther Save the world song Mel: We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Folke Günther Thank You! Visit