Carbon sequestration facts for kids

An illustration showing how carbon dioxide can be stored on land and underground.

Carbon sequestration is like a big cleanup job for our planet's air. It's the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas, which is a major cause of climate change. Think of it as taking CO₂ out of the atmosphere and putting it away safely for a very long time. This helps stop the Earth from getting too warm.

When CO₂ is captured and stored, it means it has been sequestered. This process aims to remove extra carbon that humans have added to the atmosphere. It also helps prevent future human-caused climate change.

How We Store Carbon Dioxide

There are two main ways to store CO₂ for a long time:

Storing Carbon on Land

This method is called terrestrial sequestration. It uses plants and trees to naturally capture CO₂.

• Plants take in CO₂ from the air as they grow.
• They store this carbon in their leaves, stems, and roots.
• When plants die, some of this carbon goes into the soil.
• Protecting and planting more forests helps store a lot of carbon.

Storing Carbon Underground

This method is called geologic sequestration. It involves burying CO₂ deep underground.

• CO₂ is captured from places like power plants and factories before it goes into the air.
• It is then compressed into a liquid-like form.
• This CO₂ is pumped thousands of feet underground into special rock formations.
• These formations are usually old oil and gas fields or salty water layers.
• The goal is to keep the CO₂ trapped there permanently.

Why Carbon Sequestration Matters

Our planet's climate is changing because of too much CO₂ in the atmosphere. This extra CO₂ comes from human activities like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) for energy. Carbon sequestration helps by:

• Reducing the amount of CO₂ in the air.
• Slowing down global warming.
• Protecting our planet for future generations.

It's an important tool in the fight against climate change, working alongside other efforts like using more renewable energy sources.

Images for kids

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  An oceanic phytoplankton bloom in the South Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Argentina. Encouraging such blooms with iron fertilization could lock up carbon on the seabed.

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  Biochar can be landfilled, used as a soil improver or burned using carbon capture and storage.

See also

In Spanish: Secuestro de carbono para niños