ENHANCED CARBONATE WEATHERING AS A MEANS OF CO2 CAPTURE

Sustained negative CO₂ emissions seem essential to meet climate goals. However, most means of carbon capture are still nascent and far from being able to be deployed at a scale that makes a difference in the global carbon budget. Enhanced weathering of carbonate minerals added to croplands—a process referred to as liming—is an essential part of current industrial agriculture that when implemented on a large scale will be carbon negative, will increase agricultural yields, and decrease N₂O emissions. Although, liming has historically and in current syntheses not been viewed as a carbon sink, we will build from large geochemical databases to outline why liming should be viewed as a means of carbon capture. We will also review some of the benefits of increased liming over other forms of agricultural reform, highlighting that liming has been thoroughly tested and can be implemented at scale over the next decade.