Could basalt rocks contribute to 'cooling' the Earth?

At a Scottish quarry filled with noisy heavy machinery, Jim Mann bent down and grabbed a handful of small, black rock fragments.

"This is my magic dust," he said, gently rubbing it between his fingers. In Jim Mann's hands were pieces of basalt—a hard, unremarkable, and not particularly remarkable type of volcanic rock. However, through a process called "enhanced rock weathering," basalt may help cool our warming planet.

The BBC (UK) reported that United Nations scientists believe that simply reducing greenhouse gas emissions will not be enough to prevent dangerous levels of global warming. They assessed that it will be necessary to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Planting trees is the most natural way to do this, but it has limitations. The captured CO2 is released when the wood decomposes or burns, and there are limitations on the area that can be planted.

Jim Mann calls these basalt fragments "magic dust". Photo: BBC

Meanwhile, Direct Air Capture (DAC), which uses large machinery to mechanically extract CO2 from the atmosphere and store it underground, is considered a permanent solution. However, questions remain about the feasibility of this method, given the need to build an energy-intensive process while we are trying to phase out fossil fuels.

The BBC (UK) reported that the "enhanced rock weathering" method lies somewhere between natural and man-made. It utilizes the natural, slow weathering process combined with a pressurized system to remove carbon more quickly.

Jim's rock weathering company, UNDO, has received a new investment of £12 million.

Jim's company values small pieces of basalt rock. Over millennia, volcanic rock has slowly removed carbon from the air as it weathers in rainwater.

But to maximize carbon removal, basalt rock needs to be spread over a large area. This is what encourages local farmers to help the planet, in exchange for receiving free fertilizer. Through trials on the fields, basalt rock has been shown to improve both crop yields and grazing quality.

A local farmer named John Logan saw UNDO's trial on a nearby farm and commented: "It seems to make the grass better, so that's good for the livestock because they eat better quality grass."

Small basalt stones are scattered across fields in England. Photo: BBC

Some experts worry that carbon removal techniques could distract people from the more pressing priority of reducing emissions and even be used as a justification for continuing to live a high-carbon lifestyle.

But Jim assessed: "Reducing CO2 must be the top priority." He stressed the need to develop this technology to remove CO2 on a large scale, and the advantage of enhanced rock weathering is that it is "long-lasting."

UNDO scientists calculated that it takes 4 tonnes of basalt rock to capture one tonne of CO2. With the typical CO2 emissions of an estimated 7 tonnes a year for a Briton, this means each Briton would need approximately 30 tonnes, or the equivalent of one and a half truckloads, of basalt rock dispersed annually to absorb the CO2 they emit.

UNDO plans to expand rapidly over the next few years and has garnered some serious support. Microsoft has agreed to pay for 25,000 tonnes of basalt to be spread on fields in England.

This year, UNDO plans to spread 185,000 tons of basalt rock and hopes to remove one million tons of CO2 by 2025. However, this is considered just a "drop in the ocean" compared to the total emissions. The BCC estimates that in 2022, the world released approximately 37 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

According to recent forecasts from the World Meteorological Organization, global temperatures are on track to rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next five years. The world has already warmed by about 1.1 degrees Celsius, exacerbating heatwaves in Asia, droughts in Europe, and floods in Pakistan.

According to VNA/News Agency

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