首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
A recent study by German researchers presents the possibility of "carbon farming" as a less risky alternative to other carbon ca
A recent study by German researchers presents the possibility of "carbon farming" as a less risky alternative to other carbon ca
admin
2015-01-09
37
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 CO
2
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 CO
2
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 CO
2
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-emissions 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 nonedible 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."
What do some experts worry about the Barbados nut according to the passage?
选项
A、Its ability to grow well and absorb carbon.
B、The high cost and low production.
C、The high temperature in the surroundings.
D、Its ability to create biodiesel.
答案
A
解析
细节题。由题干定位至第一段。由该段最后一句“But other experts…questioning whether theBarbados nut would be able to grow well in sandy desert soils and absorb the quantity of carbon their modelspredict.”可知,其他一些专家质疑桐油树是否能够生长在恶劣的土壤环境中以及它是否能够像预期的那样吸收足量的碳排放物。因此[A]正确。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/FydO777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Inthecourseoftime,Mr.Earnshawbegantofail.Hehadbeenactiveandhealthy,yethisstrengthlefthimsuddenly;andwhen
WhatsuggestiondoesMs.LiongivetothestudentsusingInternetasaninformationsource?
WhatsuggestiondoesMs.LiongivetothestudentsusingInternetasaninformationsource?
Askedwhatjobtheywouldtakeiftheycouldhaveany,peopleunleashtheirimaginationsanddreamofexoticplaces,powerfulpo
AccordingtoEllen,theincreasingdemandforhiringisdueto
Asmanyenvironmentalissuesarethreateningourhealthandlife,wefeelitimportanttoleadaneco-friendlylifetoprotectt
TheodoreDreisersetforthhis______conceptoftheAmericansocietyinhisearlyworks.
ForadevelopingcountrylikeIndiawhoseecologicalandsocio-economicsystemsarealreadyunderpressurefromrapidurbaniza
Australiahasalwaysbeenacontinentwithfewpeoplemainlybecause______
随机试题
丰田汽车公司进入美国汽车市场的营销策略:20世纪60年代初,日本丰田汽车公司在准备进入美国汽车市场时遇到很大困难。丰田公司进行了细致的市场调研,制定了周密的营销策略,推出了具有特色的产品,经历了艰苦的奋斗,最终取得了很大的成功。1.丰田公司
尿道损伤后,预防尿道狭窄的主要措施是
能改善稳定型心绞痛患者临床预后的药物是()
假设药物消除符合一级动力学过程,问多少个t1/2药物消除99.9%()。
下列哪些事项属于行政机关应当主动公开的政府信息?()
海洋定位方法主要有天文定位、光学定位、无线电定位、卫星定位和()等。
比较汇款、托收、信用证在收费、资金负担、买卖方风险等方面的区别。
下列关于铠装热电阻的说法正确的是()。
只有中国公民才可以申请个人汽车贷款。()
如图所示若数据速率为1kb/s,则载波速率为_____________Hz。
最新回复
(
0
)