Critical impacts of pyrolysis conditions and activation methods on application-oriented production of wood waste-derived biochar. Wang L., Chen L., Tsang D.C.W., et al. Chu S., Cui Y., Liu N. The path towards sustainable energy. Azar C., Lindgren K., Larson E., Mllersten K. Carbon capture and storage from fossil fuels and biomasscosts and potential role in stabilizing the atmosphere. Council H. How hydrogen empowers the energy transition. The rapidly developing photovoltaic technology has been recognized as a powerful method to harness solar energy.45 Conventional thin-film solar cells using inorganic semiconductors, such as silicon, gallium arsenide (GaAs), copper indium gallium selenide, and cadmium telluride (CdTe) materials, have been industrialized on a large scale, as they have high power conversion efficiencies and salient operational stability. Formation of C-X bonds in CO. Klankermayer J., Wesselbaum S., Beydoun K., Leitner W. Selective catalytic synthesis using the combination of carbon dioxide and hydrogen: catalytic chess at the interface of energy and chemistry. We're carbon neutral now and working toward science-based targets to reduce our absolute emissions 50% by 2030. Owusu P.A., Asumadu-Sarkodie S. A review of renewable energy sources, sustainability issues and climate change mitigation. Therefore, photochemical and electrochemical catalysis have been prompted as attractive alternative techniques for a sustainable and environment-friendly pathway. Driven by the possibility to create either a highly charged surface and multiple functional groups or hydrophobic surfaces, biochar is emerging as an effective and safe natural adsorbent that can capture CO2229 and remove diverse organic contaminants152 (e.g., antibiotics, aromatic dyes, agrochemicals, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and inorganic contaminants (e.g., phosphate, ammonia, sulfide, and heavy metals) from solid, aqueous, and/or gaseous media.137,230, 231, 232 As a soil amendment, it can improve plant productivity and photosynthesis rate by enhancing the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil,233 thereby contributing to C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and mitigating climate change.234 Biochar addition to agricultural soils has improved soil water availability, water holding capacity, and nutrient availability,235, 236, 237 increased soil microbial biomass and activity,238 reduced risk of crust formation and soil erosion,239 enhanced antibacterial activity,240 and reduced mobility and toxicity of environmental pollutants in the soil.241,242 By supplementing it with nutrients and microorganisms, biochar may be used as a carrier material for agricultural inputs, thus increasing the nutrient use efficiency, viability, and activity of the inoculated microorganisms in the soil.243 Biochar can also serve as a source of nutrients for plant growth and suppress soil-borne, pathogen-based diseases to alter the agricultural environment.242,244 In addition, biochar can also reduce the emission of CH4, N2O, and other air pollutants during the degradation of biomass in the soil, mainly by adsorbing free C and N compounds to its surface, changing the properties of the systems.245 For example, biochar used as a soil amendment can reduce soil CH4 emissions by 39.5%,246 and soil N2O emissions by 30.92%.247 Furthermore, biochar has been shown to mitigate the emission of GHGs (CH4, N2O, and CO2) during composting, and its application is highly recommended for optimizing the composting process and conservation of C, N, and other compost minerals.187,248 Therefore, the conversion of agricultural waste into biochar to improve soil health is regarded as a promising strategy for storing soil nutrients and reducing GHG emissions.249. Underground hydrogen storage: a comprehensive review. Sustainable energy and fuels from biomass: a review focusing on hydrothermal biomass processing. This amounts to 30% of total public sector greenhouse gas emissions, and 3.2% of the total CO 2 emissions of the country as a whole. The capacity and accuracy of satellites in monitoring terrestrial ecosystem biomass also need to be improved. He T., Cao H.J., Chen P. Complex hydrides for energy storage, conversion, and utilization. The sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of these marine ecosystems are vital to support the provision of C sequestration and other ecosystem services that humans depend on.207 One possible way to increase blue C is to promote microbial C sequestration in marine ecosystems by reducing the application of chemical fertilizers on land (Figure2), as initially proposed by Jiao etal.208 This suggests the need to adopt land-sea integrated strategies to achieve C storage and sustainable development. Liu B.J., Zhang L., Lu F., et al. Ion conducting membranes for aqueous flow battery systems. However, for IGCC pre-combustion, advanced coal gasification technologies and gas turbines fueled by hydrogen-rich gas need to be further developed. such as finding a carbon neutral energy source to power the electricity grid. The potential for this energy is estimated to be 44,000 TWh per year.61 The utilization of this form of energy is still at the research stage by universities and research institutes. And there are reputational benefits that shouldn't be underestimated. The ocean energy reserve is enormous globally and is enough to power the entire world. Carbon neutrality is one of the most important goals for the Chinese government to mitigate climate change. Methane inhibitors can be developed by inhibiting H2 metabolism for methanogenesis.123 Such inhibitors include alternative electron sinks, phytocompounds, ionophore antibiotics, and oil.124, 125, 126 Among these, 3-nitrooxypropanol is the latest developed and promising inhibitor for methanogenesis,127 which has been shown to reduce methane emissions in ruminant animals by up to 40%.128,129 Vaccination, by inducing the host immune system to create antibodies capable of suppressing methanogens, has the potential to reduce CH4 emissions and is particularly beneficial for pasture-based systems.130 Given that ruminants fed with forage diets account for 70% of global ruminant methane emissions,131 breeding new highly digestible forage species with increased non-fiber carbohydrates and less lignified fiber, as well as a high concentration of secondary plant metabolites, such as tannins, saponins, and essential oils, can be worthwhile. Ye L.L., Camps-Arbestain M., Shen Q.H., et al. What are the current unmet needs and challenges industries face? This recognition of our work shows how powerful it can be when graduate students, faculty and facilities personnel team up to tackle sustainability challenges, McCall said. It may become a key tool for building a better world for the progress of human civilization. Techno-economic review of existing and new pumped hydro energy storage plant. Shao Z., Yi B. Currently, 22.7% of the annual CO2 emitted from human activities is sequestered into the ocean ecosystem.112. How relevant is recalcitrance for the stabilization of organic matter in soils? Metal ion-oxytetracycline interactions on maize straw biochar pyrolyzed at different temperatures. World Meteorological Organization The state of the global climate 2020. Stone R. The invisible hand behind a vast carbon reservoir. Di Leo S., Pietrapertosa F., Salvia M., Cosmi C. Contribution of the Basilicata region to decarbonisation of the energy system: results of a scenario analysis. Use of biochar as feed supplements for animal farming. It is the kinetic energy in the water flow. Based on market prospects, battery technologies, one of the representative electrochemical energy storage technologies, can be divided into two types: (1) alkali (lithium, sodium, potassium)-based batteries, or advanced lead-C batteries for portable electronic devices and electric vehicles, and (2) flow batteries for renewable energy integration, microgrid, and power grid peaking. The ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface and plays an important role in capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. The ocean energy reserve is enormous globally and is enough to power the entire world. The climate change mitigation potential of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. As a result, sodium-ion batteries emerge as a promising alternative for their economic feasibility. Invited review: enteric methane in dairy cattle production: quantifying the opportunities and impact of reducing emissions. Cambridge University Press; 2005. After H2 production via electrolysis, safe and low-cost hydrogen storage and transportation technology need to be developed. Gupta S., Kua H.W., Low C.Y. 2017. The Carbon Neutral Islands project is a programme for government commitment aimed at supporting islands to become carbon neutral by 2040. This paper presents a case study from a pilot project implemented by the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitt Greifswald (hereafter, Greifswald University), Germany on its way towards a "carbon-neutral university". The CO2 chemical utilization refers to processes of converting CO2 into other high-value chemicals under certain conditions of temperature, pressure, and the presence of a catalyst. Interestingly, biochar can be produced on many different scales, from large industrial to small household scale, and can also be produced on farmland.228 Therefore, bio(char) production from widely distributed waste has socio-economic and environmental significance in the race to achieve C neutrality. In addition, the products for photocatalysis and electrocatalysis are still limited due to the relatively poor efficiency or unfavorable operating conditions. Wind results from the motion of air due to uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun. The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), enabling the conversion of intermittent renewable electricity from sunlight and wind into storable fuels and useful chemical products, is an important approach for CO2 conversion and utilization to meet the requirement of C neutrality.13,311,312 Since the pioneering works by Hori etal.,313,314 massive efforts have been devoted to boost the catalytic performance of electrochemical CO2RR, especially within the past decade.315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, 321 There has been increasing mechanistic understanding as well as many encouraging signs of experimental progress on this complicated multi-electron and multi-proton transfer reaction system.192,315,322, 323, 324, 325, 326, Theoretical simulations using density functional theory (DFT) have become a powerful tool for providing mechanistic insights into microscopic processes at electrode/electrolyte interface and obtaining critical thermodynamic and kinetic data. 87, p. 110, 2018). Environmental Protection Agency; 2021. Advances in production of bioplastics by microalgae using food waste hydrolysate and wastewater: a review. Biofuels for a sustainable future. Water-enhanced synthesis of higher alcohols from CO. Lang X.D., He L.N. At present, greenhouse gas observation methods include ground-based monitoring and satellite remote sensing. Kerala is witnessing the impact of global warming and climate change, as was evidenced by the unpredictable heavy rain and flooding in recent times. Fang Wangwas partially supported by a fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for experienced researchers. Some zinc-based flow batteries are currently at the demonstration stage. Nihous G.C. Wang G., Chen J., Ding Y., et al. It is a promising way to control greenhouse gases. Wind powered pumped hydro storage systems, a means of increasing the penetration of renewable energy in the Canary Islands. To accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral shipping, Maersk has set a new and ambitious target in 2018 of having net-zero CO2 emissions from operations by 2050. The first stage, from 1977 to 1996, was the technology development phase. The irreversible momentum of clean energy. Adsorption kinetics of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) on maize straw-derived biochars. Aydin E., Allen T.G., De Bastiani M., et al. Raymond P.A., Hartmann J., Lauerwald R., et al. Bernard B. ITER: a unique international collaboration to harness the power of the stars. Anthropogenic global shifts in biospheric N and P concentrations and ratios and their impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem productivity, food security, and human health. Developing fibrillated cellulose as a sustainable technological material. Concept design of CFETR tokamak machine. Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence to enable sustainable and precision agriculture. "The treatment of biomass as carbon neutral runs counter to scientific findings" showing that burning wood for energy typically emits 1.5 times more CO2 than coal and 3 times more than natural. Animal production management. Cell-based meat is produced through the development of stem cell and large-scale cell culture technologies and thus has a taste and texture similar to real meat.138 However, obstacles to commercializing cell-based meat still exist, such as how to scale up, regulatory approval, and the high production cost. At present, the technical routes of CO2 capture mainly include post-combustion capture, pre-combustion capture, and oxygen-fuel combustion. A proud consumer of Green Energy, Neenah Paper is also a U.S. EPA Green Power Partner, and manufactures many brands carrying the Green-e, Green Seal and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifications (SW-COC-000885). It was adopted in the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, which was widely accepted because countries at different stages of development have different capacities to deal with international environmental issues. In this regard, investment in research and adoption of renewable energy from C-free sources (i.e., sunlight, tide, wind, water, wave, rain, and geothermal power) and biomass (i.e., organic materials from plants or animals) are the key to bridging the gap between the rhetoric and reality of net-zero CO2 emissions. Raza A., Gholami R., Rezaee R., et al. The fuel is burned in an environment of oxygen and CO2, and a part of the flue gas is returned to the system for circulation. Plant diversity enhances productivity and soil carbon storage. Preparation, modification and environmental application of biochar: a review. Ideally, such alternatives should be cost-effective, based on eco-friendly processes, contribute to climate change mitigation, promote sustainable development, and lead to economic and ecological benefits. Rapid electron transfer via dynamic coordinative interaction boosts quantum efficiency for photocatalytic CO, Long R., Li Y., Liu Y., et al. In: apek P., Manzoni S., Katovsk E., et al. Recent research showed that installing solar panels on rooftops may decrease GHG emissions by 57% in the near term (approximately 10 years) and achieve C neutrality in the long term (about 30 years).50, Solar thermal technologies rely on photothermal conversion to achieve heat, steam, and electricity production for C-neutral operations, unlike photovoltaic techniques. Due to the importance of coastal ecosystems in storing large amounts of C and providing other ecological functions, policies to protect and restore coastal and open water ecosystems need to be strengthened.201,205,210 Preventing the conversion of these ecosystems to other land uses and restoring degraded coastal wetlands can increase C sequestration.211,212 Recent simulations suggested that the protection and restoration of global coastal wetlands can provide half of forest soil C migration potential by 2030.211. Technologies for enhancing carbon sinks. Microbial production of recalcitrant dissolved organic matter: long-term carbon storage in the global ocean. The Silent Spring: On the Need for Sustainable Plant Protection; pp. Direct utilization of geothermal energy 2020 worldwide review. Early tidal barrages started to operate in the 1960s, and tidal energy now has the largest share of ocean energy being exploited (Khare etal., 2019). Xia C., Zhu P., Jiang Q., et al. The extensive use of fossil fuels and deforestation to promote anthropogenic activities and urbanization are entwined with global climate change, which stems from the greenhouse effect associated with increased atmospheric CO2 and other GHGs. Penuelas J., Janssens I.A., Ciais P., et al. The paper was published in the journalSustainable Energy Technologies and Assessmentsand anupdate to the studywas discussed in a presentation during the recent 2020 Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education. The decreasing costs of renewable energy and the increase in variable renewable power supplies' market share have put significant roadblocks in the way of cheap water electrolysis.71 With the fast development of artificial intelligence, deployment and learning-by-doing are expected to reduce electrolyzer costs and supply chain logistics. Lu X.K., Vitousek P.M., Mao Q.G., et al. Since the program began in 2003, more than 551 million square yards of carbon neutral flooring have been sold globally, and 6.1 million metric tonnes of verified emission reduction credits have been retired - all while reducing the carbon footprint of our carpet tile products by over 76% since 1996. Mahanta S.K., Garcia S.C., Islam M.R. Jiang F., Li T., Li Y., et al. Due to the higher redox potential of Na/Na+ and larger ionic radius (as compared with Li/Li+), sodium-ion batteries are currently suffering from low energy density and poor cycling stability. Chowdhury S., Bolan N., Farrell M., et al. Peatlands make up 60% of the wetlands in the world and play a crucial role in the Ccycle. 2020. In my current role at Rocky Mountain Institute helping local governments achieve their renewable energy goals, it's been exciting to see these overall themes of our research align with real-world projects.. Carbon-neutral agriculture is becoming the need of the hour for environmental balance and improved health and safe sustenance of future generations. Since the Industrial Revolution, C-based resources have been exploited to produce energy, food, and other commodities, affecting the global ecosystems in countless ways. Since the CO2 separation takes place before the fuel combustion process and the fuel gas has not been diluted by nitrogen, the CO2 concentration in the syngas is over 30%. In addition to the development of renewable energy, the management of food systems also needs to be optimized to increase production efficiency and reduce C emissions. The global forest net C sink is estimated at 10.7 Gt CO2-eq year1,112 which is mainly distributed in temperate regions.145 Grasslands cover around 26% of the ice-free land on Earth and store around 34% of the global terrestrial C.146 Soils of these grasslands store about 343 Gt C, which is about 50% more than the amount stored in forest soils and acts as a sink for about 1.83 Gt CO2-eq year1. Advances and challenges in understanding the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels. A significant difference between electrocatalysis and classical catalysis is that both the reaction thermodynamics (reaction free energy) and kinetics (activation barrier) can be effectively modulated by the applied electrode potential. Cheng H. Future earth and sustainable developments. Vegetation structural change since 1981 significantly enhanced the terrestrial carbon sink. Biohm, a biomaterials company that produces mycelium insulation panels, claims production of the project is carbon-negative, "sequestering at least 16 tonnes of carbon per month". Towards monitoring localized CO, Goldberg D.L., Anenberg S.C., Griffin D., et al. The small modular design of MSRs can reduce the R&D challenge and difficulty of large commercial MSRs while increasing their economic return and safety. Shi T., Zheng X., Zhang H., et al. In response to the worsening global climate change, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is the most pressing task on the planet. Le Quere C., Andrew R.M., Friedlingstein P., et al. First global carbon dioxide maps produced from tansat measurements. A carbon peak in 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060 are major strategic development goals for China. Weaver J.F. 2020. Matassa S., Boon N., Pikaar I., Verstraete W. Microbial protein: future sustainable food supply route with low environmental footprint. Research to Unleash Enhanced Geothermal Systems Can Unlock Innovative Carbon-free Clean Energy Source. Wang Z.L. And the unpredictable nature of winds in terms of speed and direction will result in a variable and unstable phase, amplitude, and frequency for the generation of electricity, which may make it difficult to be integrated into the grid, resulting in a waste of wind energy. Research progress and prospects for using biochar to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions during composting: a review. Nuclear energy is a major contributor to clean energy, accounting for 40% of low-C electricity generation worldwide, and avoids about 1.7 Gt CO2 emissions a year globally. Therefore, it has become imperative to switch from non-renewables to renewables that sustain current production systems and address climate change issues to protect human health and the environment. Effects of three methane mitigation agentson parameters of kinetics of total and hydrogen gas production, ruminal fermentation and hydrogen balance using invitro technique. CO2 transportation means the process of transporting the captured CO2 to use or the storage area. Beerling D.J., Kantzas E.P., Lomas M.R., et al. Xiang L.L., Sheng H.J., Gu C.G., et al. Thus, in consideration of the stability and safety of energy supply, environmental impacts, and total cost, CCUS may play a big role in realizing C neutrality in the future. Chen W.F., Meng J., Han X.R., et al. On the ground, these reductions can take the form of building retrofits, low-to-no carbon emitting building designs, and a move toward renewable energy. It could be used for the areas that have to be emitted to achieve C neutrality. to achieve c neutrality and sustainably support human activities, it is of utmost importance to reduce fossil fuel and food c emissions while promoting c sequestration in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Water-enhanced synthesis of higher alcohols from CO. The microbial C pump sequesters C by producing recalcitrant dissolved organic C with a lifespan of >100 years198 and was regarded as the invisible hand behind a vast C reservoir.199 The estimated magnitude of the microbial C pump in the world ocean is 0.2 Tg C year1, and some models suggest that climate change would enhance C sequestration by the microbial C pump.198 The scientific understanding of ocean solubility C pump, biological C pump, and microbial C pump provides a practical and consistent foundation for the research and potential sustainable management of C cycling between land and ocean. Ramesh T., Bolan N.S., Kirkham M.B., et al. Thus, replacing traditional fossil fuel with renewable energy from sunlight is highly desirable and crucial for reducing CO2 emissions and decarbonizing energy systems toward C neutrality. Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. A reliable energy supply can be ensured even under long-term severe weather conditions. Blackford J., Bull J.M., Cevatoglu M., et al. Practice for blue carbon management. Designing materials for electrochemical carbon dioxide recycling. Lim C., Yusoff S., Ng C.G., et al. Pedro M.S., Rammer W., Seidl R. Disentangling the effects of compositional and structural diversity on forest productivity. Although pumped hydro is the most mature technology for large-scale energy storage, its use is restricted by site availability and the large initial investment. By planting more than a half trillion trees, the authors say, we could capture about 205 gigatons of carbon (a gigaton is 1 billion metric tons), reducing atmospheric carbon by about 25 percent. Driven by the extensive expansion of food, urban, and industrial systems, billions of tons of solid waste are generated globally every year. In the report, LLNL scientists identified a robust suite of technologies to help California clear the last hurdle and become carbon . Effect of tree species on carbon stocks in forest floor and mineral soil and implications for soil carbon inventories. CO, Haas T., Krause R., Weber R., et al. Das O., Sarmah A.K., Bhattacharyya D. A novel approach in organic waste utilization through biochar addition in wood/polypropylene composites. High cost and high energy consumption are still the main challenges for CCUS in the power, steel, and cement industries. Combined effects of 3-nitrooxypropanol and canola oil supplementation on methane emissions, rumen fermentation and biohydrogenation, and total tract digestibility in beef cattle. IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage. But right now, we need a shift towards staycations, and less international travel. Metabolic engineering strategies to enable microbial utilization of C1 feedstocks. Toward accurate CO, Hakkarainen J., Ialongo I., Tamminen J. Mandal S., Sarkar B., Bolan N., et al. More recently, it has been shown that adding biochar to animal feed reduces ruminant methane generation, improves animal growth and health, egg production, and suppresses disease occurrence, thus boosting animal productivity.264 In addition, there is a possibility that biochar may find its application in the human healthcare industry, but it has yet to be explored. Sashidhar P., Kochar M., Singh B., et al. Zomer R.J., Bossio D.A., Sommer R., Verchot L.V.