Please excuse semi-nonsense text. It's much better viewed on the original slideshow!
http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/intecol/presentations/006/1140%20C.%20Dunn.pdf An inconvenient wetland truth: the need to consider peatland-geoengineering schemes Christian Dunn, Nathalie Fenner & Chris Freeman PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITYPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY • Geoengineering • How do peatlands fit in? • Peatlands’ potential • The moral dilemma Christian Dunn, 2012PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY The Royal Society – 2009 “The deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s climate system, in order to moderate global warming” Christian Dunn, 2012 Geoengineering - definitionPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY • Climate change is happening • Global emission reductions not sufficient to avoid dangers Geoengineering the climate very likely to be technically possible Further research and development should be undertaken Christian Dunn, 2012 Geoengineering - reportPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY “Major uncertainties regarding [different methods] effectiveness, costs, and environmental impacts” Christian Dunn, 2012 Geoengineering - issuesPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 Solar Radiation Management Reflect sun’s light and heat back into space Carbon Dioxide Removal Remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere Geoengineering - methodsPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 • Net global sinks of atmospheric carbon • Store 455 Pg of carbon • Primary productivity exceeds exceptionally slow decomposition rates o Low pH o Anoxic conditions o Low nutrients o Low temperatures PeatlandsPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 Peatlands – enzymic latch - Freeman, C., Ostle, N. & Kang, H. An enzymic ‘latch’ on a global carbon store. Nature. 2001. - Fenner, N. & Freeman, C. Drought-induced carbon loss in peatlands. Nature Geoscience. 2011PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 Strengthening the latch • Increasing phenolic abundance • Manipulating edaphic factors to slow decomposition Increasing carbon influenced by the latch • Increasing plant productivity • Introduce externally captured carbon Using the latchPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Vegetation management Christian Dunn, 2012 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Heather Juncus Sphagnum P.O. Activity (µmol g -1 min -1 ) CO2e (µg g -1 h -1 ) CO2e Phenol Oxidase Trace gas production (CO2 equivalent) and phenol oxidase activity from peat soil taken from the rhizosphere of peatland plantsPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Supplementary phenolics Christian Dunn, 2012 Percentage difference in the average CO2 flux from bog-peat cores during six months of treatment compared to pretreatment fluxes -500 -450 -400 -350 -300 -250 -200 -150 -100 -50 0 Control Phenolic addition Percentage differencePRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY The next step? Christian Dunn, 2012 Genetic modification Increased expression of phenolic inhibitors by Sphagnum mosses Lignin addition Injecting timber, forestry waste & paper milling by-products to peatlands Freeman, C. , Fenner, N. & Shirsat, A. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. A. 2012.PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 • 2 Pg of additional carbon sequestration a year • Equal to the carbon produced by global transport • Not including the supplementary carbon added to the peatlands • Carbon markets could supply revenue to pay for peatland management / restoration Peatlands’ potentialPRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 Sir John Houghton, co-founder of the IPCC Global warming represents the “single greatest threat mankind has ever faced”. Moral dilemma Predicted area of blanket peatlandsin the UK. Gallego-Sala, A.V. et al. Clim Res. 2010.PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 Should we leave our peatlands alone, while average global temperatures continue to rise, if they have the potential to significantly reduce GHGs levels?PRIFYSGOL BANGOR / BANGOR UNIVERSITY Christian Dunn, 2012 Acknowledgments • Prof Chris Freeman and Dr Nathalie Fenner • The Knowledge and Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS) which is part-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the European Union’s Convergence programme administered by the Welsh Assembly Government. • George Meyrick of Energy and Environment Business Services • Ramsar-SWS Student Project Award • Bangor University and Wolfson Carbon Capture Laboratory o Dr Piotr Zielinski o Dr Tim Jones o David D Hughes o Sally Roberts -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en.
