Fossil fuel combustion and carbon sequestration

• For the past two centuries, fossil fuels have driven global industrialisation and urbanisation
• Despite the development of renewables, the global economy is still overwhelmingly dependent on fossil fuels
• In 2013 87% of the total energy used was from fossil fuels
• This releases 10 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere per year
• Since 1750 anthropogenic CO2 emissions have been 2000 gigatons, 3/4 coming from fossil fuels
• Although anthropogenic emissions account for less than 10% the natural flux from the biosphere and into the atmosphere, it impacts significantly on the size of the atmosphere, ocean and biosphere carbon stores
• Carbon emissions are also rising faster than at any time in the previous decade
• Carbon Sequestration


  The long-term storage of waste carbon
• Carbon Capture and Storage


  • CO2 is captured, compressed and piped to be stored - injected into porous rocks deep beneath the ground where it is to be stored permanently
  • Could play an important role in reducing carbon emissions
  • In the USA 40% of carbon emissions come from power stations and CCS could reduce this by 90%
• A proposed scheme in North Yorkshire was axed in 2016 due to rising costs
• The effectiveness of CCS is limited by economic and geological factors - costs in excess of $1 billion and the need for deep, porous rocks, overlain by impermeable rocks so the site is suitable for storage