News & Comment

Carbon capture and storage could be the only way of managing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels responsibly. But it is by no means clear that it will work.

The fact that cumulative carbon dioxide emissions are more important than annual emission rates calls for a fresh approach to climate change mitigation. One option would be a mandatory link between carbon sequestration and fossil fuel extraction.

Storage of the carbon dioxide that is produced by burning fossil fuels is one way to avoid the damaging consequences of climate change. A range of observations suggests that geological carbon storage is much less risky than unabated carbon emissions to the atmosphere.

The conversion of coal into liquid fuel is one of the dirtiest ways to produce transportation fuel. But if carbon is captured and stored, and some biomass is added, it could become the cleanest way to power jets, trucks and trains.

The path towards mitigating global warming is going to be tortuous. Capturing carbon dioxide and pumping it directly into the deep ocean to avoid atmospheric build-up is an option that has been dismissed prematurely.

As climate change continues to erode biodiversity, the two disciplines need to improve their dialogue.

The plan to drill through the entire oceanic crust is ambitious and exciting, and well worth the expense.

Deforestation is the second largest anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, after fossil fuel combustion. Following a budget reanalysis, the contribution from deforestation is revised downwards, but tropical peatlands emerge as a notable carbon dioxide source.

Greenhouse-gas emissions keep rising, despite all efforts at regulation and international agreement. Geoengineering could provide a back-up plan.