Rock dust spread on farmland could remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide

As more scientists look into carbon capture techniques to fight climate change, one viable short-term option is dusting farmland with rock dust, especially basalt.

Via The Guardian:

The rock dust approach, called enhanced rock weathering (ERW), has several advantages, the researchers say. First, many farmers already add limestone dust to soils to reduce acidification, and adding other rock dust improves fertility and crop yields, meaning application could be routine and desirable.

Basalt is the best rock for capturing CO₂, and many mines already produce dust as a byproduct, so stockpiles already exist. The researchers also found that the worlds biggest polluters, China, the US and India, have the greatest potential for ERW, as they have large areas of cropland and relatively warm weather, which speeds up the chemical reactions.

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