Beads of perspiration lined Ole Tymer’s brow as he labored to pull the canoe onto the landing. The sun had dipped below the horizon; nevertheless, nary a hint of evening coolness graced Sonny Newway and his Grandpa Ole as they finished stowing the canoe and gear onto the trailer.
“Sure has been a hot summer,” Sonny ventured. “Was it like this when you were a kid Gramps?” “Oh, we had hot summers, alright. But it’s not the same. They call it the ‘new normal’ with more frequent extreme temperature days, less overnight cooling and warmer winters,” he replied gruffly. Sonny knew a little about climate change. It was all a bit scary and quite overwhelming. “Gosh Gramps, is there anything we can do about it?”
Ole looked the lad in the eye. “Suck it up, Sonny!” The boy was taken aback at this harsh retort. “The junk in the atmosphere, I mean, the excess CO2,” Ole continued. “Besides reducing the tons of greenhouse gasses we pour into the atmosphere every day, we need to get better at sucking out those excess gasses and locking them up. It’s called carbon sequestration.
“Researchers are working to find the most economical ways to snatch carbon directly out of the air. One of the latest, most promising techniques is a battery-like device that captures carbon dioxide directly from air by combining saltwater chemistry with a charging and discharging process. Once captured, carbon can be compressed into a dense fluid and either permanently stored deep underground or recycled to make synthetic fuels, strengthen concrete, create sustainable plastics, or produce fertilizers.
“Our farming friends have a bunch of ways to help. Plants breathe in CO2 and lock the carbon safely inside their wood, leaves and roots; so farmers’ protection of the soil, prairies and forests is vital. For example, no-till and reduced tillage field work keeps soil layers intact; that prevents stored carbon from being released back into the air. Cover cropping keeps living roots in the ground year-round to feed carbon-munching soil microbes.
“You betcha we can help by supporting policies that protect and expand our forests and prairies and by being mindful of our own carbon footprints. It’s the right time for a Sonny Newway,” he winked, “because this is the only home we’ll ever know. We’re all forever… Earthbound.”
“Sure has been a hot summer,” Sonny ventured. “Was it like this when you were a kid Gramps?” “Oh, we had hot summers, alright. But it’s not the same. They call it the ‘new normal’ with more frequent extreme temperature days, less overnight cooling and warmer winters,” he replied gruffly. Sonny knew a little about climate change. It was all a bit scary and quite overwhelming. “Gosh Gramps, is there anything we can do about it?”
Ole looked the lad in the eye. “Suck it up, Sonny!” The boy was taken aback at this harsh retort. “The junk in the atmosphere, I mean, the excess CO2,” Ole continued. “Besides reducing the tons of greenhouse gasses we pour into the atmosphere every day, we need to get better at sucking out those excess gasses and locking them up. It’s called carbon sequestration.
“Researchers are working to find the most economical ways to snatch carbon directly out of the air. One of the latest, most promising techniques is a battery-like device that captures carbon dioxide directly from air by combining saltwater chemistry with a charging and discharging process. Once captured, carbon can be compressed into a dense fluid and either permanently stored deep underground or recycled to make synthetic fuels, strengthen concrete, create sustainable plastics, or produce fertilizers.
“Our farming friends have a bunch of ways to help. Plants breathe in CO2 and lock the carbon safely inside their wood, leaves and roots; so farmers’ protection of the soil, prairies and forests is vital. For example, no-till and reduced tillage field work keeps soil layers intact; that prevents stored carbon from being released back into the air. Cover cropping keeps living roots in the ground year-round to feed carbon-munching soil microbes.
“You betcha we can help by supporting policies that protect and expand our forests and prairies and by being mindful of our own carbon footprints. It’s the right time for a Sonny Newway,” he winked, “because this is the only home we’ll ever know. We’re all forever… Earthbound.”
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