Carbon is a key element that is everywhere on our Earth. It is in the food we eat, the air we breathe, and most importantly it is even a part of our DNA. There is a consistent flow of this element between the atmosphere and the living organisms which creates a balance that is essential for all life on Earth.
But due to harmful human activities, this balance has been disturbed. We are creating much more Carbon than our planet can absorb. To cope with this increasing emission, there are a number of Carbon sinks that occur naturally. Moreover, humans have also developed artificial Carbon sinks to further protect the planet.
Here is what the CEO of B A Barry Group and the founder of Geohoney, Mr Basem Barry has to say
“Climate change is a harsh reality that all of us need to come to terms with. This is the first step towards building a sustainable lifestyle.”
This blog explores Carbon sinks and their different examples in detail to help you understand what makes these so important.
A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that can accumulate, trap, or store carbon and carbon-based compounds emitted due to human activities for an indefinite amount of time.
A carbon sink is anything that has the ability to absorb more carbon than it generates. These sinks store the carbon they capture indefinitely which can offset many major climate change risks.
Carbon sinks are available both in the natural and artificial forms each removing carbon from the atmosphere through a process called sequestration to mitigate the consequences of global warming.
Following are some of the biggest carbon sinks that are saving the Earth from climate change and its harmful impacts
Oceans are regarded as the primary natural carbon sink as they can remove and absorb about 50% of all the carbon released in the atmosphere. Algae, corals, fish, and most important of all the phytoplankton which are tiny marine bacteria and algae mix are the main contributors to the CO2 capture by the oceans.
Oceans store carbon as dissolved inorganic carbon. Moreover, many marine organisms use carbon to make shells as well as skeletons.
The world’s forests absorb about 2.6 billion tons of carbon every year making these the second greatest carbon sink occurring naturally. Trees and other plant life in these forests undergo photosynthesis which requires CO2 which they get from the atmosphere. Forests also store carbon in their biomass as well as the soil which further reduces the carbon content in the atmosphere.
These filament-like mycorrhizas live on plant roots extracting nutrients from the soil. About a third of the global carbon emissions are captured or stored by Fungi which shows how important these are in our ecosystem. Modern farming methods are reducing these useful fungi which is affecting this natural carbon sink negatively.
Soil can absorb about 25% of all the carbon emissions caused by the modern living every year. The major concentration of carbon is retained in peatlands like bogs and fens or permafrost.
To protect this natural carbon sink there is a need to employ regenerative agriculture techniques to make sure the soil has sufficient organic matter.
These carbon sinks remove carbon from our surroundings and store it in the crust of the Earth thus speeding up the natural carbon sequestration or removal of carbon processes.
These carbon sinks include landfills, depleted oil and gas fields, and deep saline aquifers which can act as artificial carbon sinks. You can also create artificial sinks by spraying trees with certain compounds to help them absorb more CO2 or by fertilizing sea surfaces with iron.
These include peatlands, swamps, or marshes. These sinks work by accumulating organic matter which then decomposes in waterlogged conditions. This results in the storage of great amounts of carbon which helps the environment.
These are also highly effective carbon sequestration elements that store carbon beneath the sediment. These coastal carbon sinks are highly valuable as they can store these harmful emissions for an indefinite period of time.
Algae blooms are found in the oceans and these are known to absorb CO2 by photosynthesis. Once these temporary carbon sinks die, they drown in the ocean floor taking the captured carbon with them.
These are localized carbon sinks that are in the form of gardens, parks, vegetation, or trees, These sinks can absorb CO2 that exists around them which cleans the air and mitigates the carbon footprint.
These excellent carbon sinks store huge amounts of CO2 in their soil, roots, as well as vegetation. These sinks also play a vital role in coastal protection as well as sustainable ecosystem building.
Both natural and man-made carbon sinks are responsible for mitigating the effects of climate change. These sinks trap and store CO2 which allows us to resume our industrial activities and other operations that generate more emissions without affecting our planet.
Though these sinks are working effectively, still, there is still a need for us to adopt a greener approach both in our industrial sectors as well as personal lives to reduce the burden on these carbon sinks. This can ensure our activities pose minimum threats to our planet and its life.
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