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by cagenut 2505 days ago
Not specifically to reduce the temperature but to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, therefore reducing warming, therefore net reducing temperature, yes.

All the IPCC reports, in this case SR-1.5, have built in assumptions for Carbon Dioxide Removal ("CDR") tech, of which BECCS is the only one that's more than an entrepreneurs dream or a "science blog" post.

See here: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/02/SPM3...

Depending on the model BECCS is expected to capture 151 to 1191 Gigatons of co2 between ~2050 and 2100. Its the yellow section of the graph.

To put that in perspective, we have put about 550 Gt into the air from everything we've burnt since the steam engine was invented. Currently we put about 39Gt/year up.

Effectively, every time you hear someone say "scientists say we have X years left do cut emissions" they are really saying "after which we'll grow and burn and bury gigatons of biomass for 50 years".

We really have zero years left.

2 comments

5 operating BECCS currently do 1.5 Mton/year per wiki. Single pilotish DAC in Squamish does 1 Mton/year.

Why do you disregard this tech?

I think its ridiculous on its face that "Plan A" is telling ourselves we'll grow, burn and bury gigatons of biomass in the back half of the century in order to excuse continuing to mine and drill for it now. Its junkie logic. It doesn't really need refuting because if you just look at it square you can't help but realize its absurd. Silly.
for these sort of numbers I generally look to the RealClimate dot org blog.. for example this:

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2019/07/can-pl...