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  3. A recent study by German researchers presents the possibility of " carbon farming" as a less risky alternative to other carbon c

A recent study by German researchers presents the possibility of " carbon farming" as a less risky alternative to other carbon c

admin2016-06-30  79
问题     A recent study by German researchers presents the possibility of " carbon farming" as a less risky alternative to other carbon capture and storage technologies. It suggests that a significant percentage of atmospheric CO2 could potentially be removed by planting millions of acres of a hardy little shrub known as Jatropha curcas, or the Barbados nut, in dry, coastal areas. But other experts raised doubts about the study’s ambitious projections, questioning whether the Barbados nut would be able to grow well in sandy desert soils and absorb the quantity of carbon their models predict.
    The researchers behind the study say Barbados nut plantations could help to mitigate the local effects of global warming in desert areas, causing a decrease in average temperature and an increase in precipitation. If a large enough portion of the Earth were blanketed with carbon farms, they say, these local effects could become global, capturing between 17 and 25 metric tons of CO2 per hectare each year over a 20-year period. The study, published in the journal Earth System Dynamics, states that if 730 million hectares of land—an area about three-quarters the size of the United States—were devoted to this method of carbon farming, the current trend of rising atmospheric CO2 levels could be halted.
    Carbon farms would not compete with food production if they were concentrated in dry coastal areas, the researchers said. In their scenario, oceanside desalination plants, partially powered by biomass harvested from the plantations themselves, provide a low-emission irrigation method. The study states that the Barbados nut is uniquely suited to growing in regions inhospitable to other crops. The plant, which produces a non-edible seed that can be used to create biodiesel, is comfortable growing at temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also withstand high levels of contamination in the soil, making wastewater another potential source for irrigation.
    The cost of carbon farming is comparable to the costs associated with other carbon capture and storage technologies, the study asserts. The researchers calculated that the total cost for a plantation would be between 42 and 63 per ton of carbon, or between about $55 and $85. The estimated cost of carbon capture technology varies widely, but the nonprofit Center for Climate and Energy Solutions pegs it between $36 and $81, depending on the emissions source. Wulfmeyer stressed that carbon farming could have "fantastic value for the local people" if international carbon markets pick up, promoting rural development and opening up the possibility of additional agriculture as the soil quality improves around the plantation.
    In an email, Van Noordwijk, chief science adviser for the World Agroforestry Center in Bogor, Indonesia, questioned the growth rate and the atmospheric carbon capture rate hypothesized by the study’s authors, calling the estimated carbon price of the plantations a " substantial underestimate". " We’re not talking about trees that create substantive, high-density woody biomass, but about a plant with a shrubby growth habit and a long track record of deceiving farmers with yield potentials that are not being realized," he said. Also, Van Noordwijk said, " even with the abundance of water, the nutrient storage in sandy desert soil is low, and bringing in the nutrient supply to support high growth rates has high energy costs if nitrogenous fertilizer is used. " He added, " The estimated carbon price of this option already indicates that there are far better opportunities for reducing ongoing emissions from peatland use and deforestation. "
According to the researchers behind the study, all of the following will happen EXCEPT______.
选项 A、a decrease in temperature
B、an increase of rain
C、the mitigation of global warming
D、the reduction of soil contamination
答案D
解析 事实细节题。根据题干中的the researchers behind the study定位至第二段第一句Theresearchers behind the study say Barbados nut plantations could help to mitigate the local effects ofglobal warming in desert areas，causing a decrease in average temperature and an increase inprecipitation．这里作者提到了桐油树能够带来的效果，只有[D]“减少土壤的污染”没有提及，故为答案。[A]“温度的降低”，定位句中a decrease in average temperature提及该内容，故排除；[B]“降雨的增加”，定位句中an increase in precipitation(降水)提及该点，故排除；[C]“温室效应的减弱”是定位句中mitigate the local effects of global warming的同义转述，故排除。
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