Global warming is an urgent threat, and removing carbon from the atmosphere is key to slowing it down. Cornell University scientists have come up with an innovative, low-tech, sustainable a a relatively simple solution: burying wood waste, especially from managed forests. This method offers “huge” potential for carbon sequestration.

A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience estimates that burying wood waste from managed forests could remove CO2 from the atmosphere over the next 76 years 770 to 937 gigatons of carbon dioxide, which would lead to a decrease in global temperatures up to 0.42 degrees Celsius (0.76 degrees Fahrenheit)To illustrate, if the United States buried 66 % of wood waste from its managed forests, Net zero emissions could be achieved by 2050Professor Yiqi Luo, the study's first author, said it was "the most efficient and cheapest, and perhaps the most sustainable, way to capture carbon," with "huge potential."

The key to the effectiveness of this method lies in the principle itself. Managed forests, which are typically used for logging, produce large amounts of wood waste. This waste is often burned or left to decompose, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. By burying the wood waste, the wood is preserved in the soil and carbon dioxide escape is largely prevented. Soil acts as a “very good natural insulator” and can naturally reduce the amount of oxygen, preventing the decomposition of wood waste and the release of carbon dioxide. If the wood is buried to a depth of 2 meters, it can preserve for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Authors studies have focused on managed forests, sawmills and discarded furniture as the largest sources of wood waste with the greatest potential for impact. However, the method could also be applied to urban maintenance, orchards and farms. Professor Luo is already working with colleagues to investigate whether orchards in New York State can achieve carbon neutrality by burying wood waste.

In addition to its main goal – carbon sequestration – this practice can also bring other benefits. It can to encourage the removal of wood waste from forests in areas with a high risk of fires, reducing the amount of fuel for fires while also sequestering carbon. However, the authors emphasize that further large-scale demonstrations are needed to assess the impact of this method on soil health, methane emissions, soil nutrients and biodiversity.

This study presents a promising approach to climate change mitigation that, according to the authors, is the most efficient and cost-effective way to capture carbon, while also offering the potential for sustainable solutions. Spring