|
Abandoned Farmland Restoration
|
Land Sinks | Restoration can bring degraded farmland back into productivity and sequester carbon in the process. | details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Alternative Cement
|
Industry | Conventional cement production is a significant source of carbon dioxide. Reformulation can reduce emissions by millions of metric tons each year. | details |
|
Bicycle Infrastructure
|
Transportation | Infrastructure is essential for supporting safe and abundant bicycle use, which curbs emissions by reducing the need for fossil-fuel-dependent transportation. | details |
|
Biomass Power
|
Electricity | Biomass feedstock can replace fossil fuels for generating heat and electricity. Perennial biomass offers a “bridge” to a clean, renewable energy future. | details |
|
Farm Irrigation Efficiency
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Drip and sprinkler irrigation, among other practices and technologies, make farm water use less energy/fuel intensive and conserve significant amounts of freshwater. | details |
|
Bamboo Production
|
Land Sinks | Bamboo rapidly sequesters carbon in biomass and soil and can thrive on degraded lands. Long-lived bamboo products can store carbon over time. | details |
|
Bioplastics
|
Industry | Most plastics are made from fossil fuels, but bioplastics utilize plants as an alternative source of carbon. They often have lower emissions and sometimes biodegrade. | details |
|
Carpooling
|
Transportation | When people share rides in passenger vehicles through ride-sharing or similar practices, they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per traveler. | details |
|
Concentrated Solar Power
|
Electricity | Concentrated solar power uses sunlight as a heat source. Arrays of mirrors concentrate incoming rays onto a receiver to heat fluid, produce steam, and turn turbines. | details |
|
Improved Aquaculture
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing animal food sectors. Because some aquaculture systems are highly energy intensive, ensuring part of the on-site energy consumption is based on renewable resources would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. | details |
|
Managed Grazing
|
Transportation | Managed grazing involves carefully controlling livestock density and timing and intensity of grazing. Compared with conventional pasture practices, it can improve the health of grassland soils, sequestering carbon. | details |
|
Composting
|
Industry | Composting can range from backyard bins to industrial-scale operations. Regardless, it converts organic waste into soil carbon, averting landfill methane emissions in the process. | details |
|
Efficient Aviation
|
Transportation | Technologies and practices that can lower airplane emissions include better engines, wingtips, and reducing airplanes’ weight. | details |
|
Distributed Energy Storage
|
Electricity | Standalone batteries and electric vehicles store energy. They can enable 24/7 electricity supply even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. | details |
|
Improved Cattle Feed
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Optimizing cattle feeding strategies can lower the methane emissions produced within the ruminant digestive system. Nutrient enriched diets of high-quality forages, additives, and supplements aim to improve animal health and productivity. | details |
|
Managed Grazing
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Managed grazing involves carefully controlling livestock density and timing and intensity of grazing. Compared with conventional pasture practices, it can improve the health of grassland soils, sequestering carbon. | details |
|
Recycled Metals
|
Industry | Metals are extracted from nonrenewable ores. Recycled metals capitalize on already extracted materials—making it possible to produce goods more efficiently, reduce the need to extract new resources, and cut down on energy and water use. | details |
|
Efficient Ocean Shipping
|
Transportation | Huge volumes of goods are shipped across oceans. Fuel-saving ship design, technologies, and practices can trim greenhouse gas emissions. | details |
|
Distributed Solar Photovoltaics
|
Electricity | Whether grid-connected or part of stand-alone systems, rooftop solar panels and other distributed solar photovoltaic systems offer hyper-local, clean electricity generation. | details |
|
Improved Manure Management
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Livestock manure produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Advanced technologies and practices for managing manure can reduce the adverse climate impact of animal agriculture. | details |
|
Multistrata Agroforestry
|
Land Sinks | Multistrata agroforestry systems mimic the structure of natural forests. Layered trees and crops achieve high rates of both carbon sequestration and food production. | details |
|
Recycled Paper
|
Industry | Reprocessing used paper curtails extraction of virgin feedstock and lowers emissions. | details |
|
Efficient Trucks
|
Transportation | Fuel efficiency is critical to reduce truck emissions. Existing fleets can be retrofitted, while new trucks can be built to be more efficient or fully electric. | details |
|
Geothermal Power
|
Electricity | Steamy hot water from underground reservoirs is the fuel for geothermal power. It can be piped to the surface to drive turbines that produce electricity without pollution. | details |
|
Nutrient Management
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Overuse of nitrogen fertilizers-a frequent phenomenon in agriculture—results in the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. More judicious use of fertilizers can curb these emissions and reduce energy-intensive fertilizer production. | details |
|
Perennial Biomass Production
|
Land Sinks | Bioenergy relies on biomass—often annual crops such as corn. Perennial plants (e.g., switchgrass, silvergrass, willow, eucalyptus) are a more sustainable source and sequester modest amounts of soil carbon. | details |
|
Recycled Plastics
|
Industry | Recycling plastics requires less energy than producing new materials and relieves demand for fossil-fuel-based raw materials. It also saves landfill space and reduces environmental pollution. | details |
|
Electric Bicycles
|
Transportation | Battery-powered motors can boost the use of bicycles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars. | details |
|
Grid Flexibility
|
Electricity | Smarter, more flexible electric grids can cut energy losses. They also are critical to mainstreaming renewables, which are more variable than conventional energy sources. | details |
|
Seafloor Protection
|
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use | Vast amounts of carbon stored in seafloor sediments risk release by bottom-trawling fishing. Bottom-trawling bans and establishment of Marine Protected Areas can protect this important carbon sink. | details |