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💡What’s the deal with open-system carbon dioxide removal (#CDR) vs. closed-system CDR? 💡

Writer's picture: sebmanhartsebmanhart


This great article from Dai Ellis about "Leveling the Playing Field for Open-System CDR" really caught my attention – I encourage everyone to read the article in full. Here’s my synopsis of his useful framework:


⚒ Closed-system pathways (e.g., direct air capture (#DAC), bio-oil sequestration, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (#BECCS)) involve a high degree of human control and carbon sequestration of a known quantity of carbon in a controlled environment.


🌊 Open-system pathways, such as enhanced rock weathering (#ERW), ocean alkalinity enhancement, and oceanic biomass sinking, involve more paths outside direct human control, relying on natural biogeochemical processes to capture and/or sequester carbon.


🗓 Open-system pathways are currently less favored over closed-system pathways because they take longer to meet the standards of ecosystem safety, pricing, and quantification measurement required for effective and long-lasting CDR.


✅ Open-system pathways have big advantages for long-run #scalability, as they can take advantage of natural processes that already remove carbon, making it easier to scale CDR faster and with better energy and cost structures.


🏢 Moving forward, the CDR community should explore a more diverse portfolio of CDR. Having multiple companies pursuing different pathways and technologies diversifies scaling risks and constraints.


Using this framework has been immensely helpful for me. Yes, closed-system CDR feels less risky as it is more measurable. But we cannot overlook the sheer scalability and viability of open-system CDR. I am often seeing one pitted against the other. Dai provides clear arguments why we need both.


Policy organizations like Carbon Gap, Carbon Removal Alliance, Negative Emissions Platform, and Carbon Business Council are doing important work to influence public policy, which can help to achieve a necessary balance between closed- and open-system CDR pathways.


What do you think about closed-system and open-system pathways? What is your idea of a multi-level approach?


Full article here: https://lnkd.in/e-4tfYyF

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