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Nuclear energy
is essentially emissions free. My task with the greenhouse management
committees was to promote the idea
nuclear generated electricity just as a means of avoiding CO2
emissions. I began to wonder if it could be used in a way to go beyond that
and actually help absorb CO2 from the
atmosphere. Indeed it could.
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As an example, I
considered a scheme to pump water from northern Alberta to irrigate southern
growing regions and thus enhance plant
growth there. I found half the water from the Slave river could grow enough
carbon dioxide absorbing vegetation to
meet Canada’s Kyoto commitment. Conversion of the plant material to
charcoal was identified as a way
ensure it stayed intact for
hundreds or thousands of years, thus becoming
an enduring carbon sink.
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Crazy idea?
Yes! Remember though, that
we are in a province where we are seriously planning to capture carbon
dioxide from smokestacks and pump it underground at tremendous expense.
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I was
encouraged.
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