While we’ve all been otherwise occupied, the Earth has had a chance to take a deep breath, free from aircraft emissions and full-scale industrial pollution for a little while. We’ve all seen some of the results from this, which must surely put any doubts about the impact our activities have on the natural order of things.
The sad reality is, until this wakeup call, few of us have taken the impact of carbon emissions to heart. Prior to restrictions on airline travel, less than 1% of air travelers participated in carbon offsetting initiatives. It’s time to start now, before the slight advantage we’ve gained evaporates into thin air once again.
Here’s what scientists have been up to help us get on board.
Climeworks
The world’s first carbon removal plant is based in south-west Iceland on the slopes of an active volcano. This geo-thermal powered facility operates by removing carbon dioxide from the air, mixing it with water and pumping it 700m underground.
When it reaches these depths, the carbon dioxide reacts with basalt rock through natural mineralization and turns into stone within a few years.
Up until now these types of initiatives have received little support, with more people focused on reducing carbon emissions or supporting more natural carbon removal methods like planting trees.
However, the recent wildfires in Australia and the Amazon have only highlighted how tree-planting can backfire when things go wrong. Decaying or burning trees emit massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, compounding the very issue they were meant to offset.
Helping Out with Carbon Offsetting
While we need many more carbon technologies to handle the extent of our carbon emissions problems, Climeworks provides a promising start. At present, the facility’s own carbon emissions total less than 10% of the total CO2 it sucks from the air, making it 2 000 times more efficient than a fully-grown tree.
To get on board with the Climeworks program costs just €7 per month. This helps fund 85kg of carbon per year and helps homeowners and travelers do their bit to get rid of their own contributions to the global problem.
This first Climeworks initiative was capable of removing just 50 tons of carbon emissions per year, but the new Iceland installation, capable of removing several thousand tons of carbon dioxide annually, will be up and running by the end of 2020.
The company also has a dozen other plants in Europe capable of capturing carbon and selling it to commercial enterprises like carbonated drinks manufacturers.
Save the Earth and Get Rewards
This ground-breaking initiative’s available to travelers via the Adventure Travel Trade Association in partnership with Tomorrow’s Air. In return for your contribution to saving the planet, you can enjoy several rewards benefits, as well as a healthier planet, of course.
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