Carbon Removal from the Atmosphere and its Storage
9:00 am, Friday, February 17

MCL Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) is hosting two speakers on carbon removal from the atmosphere and its sequestration. The recently approved California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan relies a lot on carbon removal and sequestration by 2045 in order to meet its “net neutral” greenhouse gas targets—that is, when carbon removed from the atmosphere offsets remaining greenhouse gas emissions.    

Dr. Sarah Baker, lead author of the 2020 Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s (LLNL’s) report on “Getting to Neutral” in California by 2045, will provide an overview of different types of carbon removal from the atmosphere: 

• Forest and soil sequestration (natural or ecological solutions), and 
• Direct air capture and storage; and biomass carbon removal and storage (engineered solutions) 

In her talk, she will focus on engineered solutions.

Dr. Baker will outline LLNL’s estimates of how much carbon each method might remove and at what cost, where carbon removed by engineered solutions can be permanently stored, and how this might be done while protecting both the environment and communities with environmental justice concerns.

Dr. Jeff Creque, co-founder of the Carbon Cycle Institute and the Marin Carbon Project, will report on the potential for natural/nature-based carbon sequestration, especially from carbon farming and forest management. Dr. Creque will describe the experience of innovative natural carbon sequestration programs in Marin and elsewhere.

Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoduysrDMsGt16JMYC3r6_mA1R0EYqLgKn

The speakers:

Dr. Sarah Baker is group leader for the Materials for Energy and Climate Security Group in LLNL’s Materials Science division. She is leading work on a current U.S. Department of Energy national “Getting to Neutral” report.  She and her team have testified numerous times in Sacramento on carbon removal. Dr. Baker received her PhD in Materials Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Jeff Creque is Director of Rangeland and Agroecosystem Management at the Carbon Cycle Institute.  He provides senior leadership on carbon farming and land management, informed by thirty-five years of applied experience and theoretical training.  He received his PhD in Rangeland Ecology from Utah State University.