Urban Farming with Enhanced Rock Weathering As a Prospective Climate Stabilization Wedge

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Urban Ecology

Background:

• Current carbon capture and sequestration methods are insufficient to meet global climate goals.
• Additional climate stabilization strategies are necessary to complement existing mitigation efforts.
• Urban environments possess underutilized surface areas suitable for climate solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight urban farming as a viable strategy for carbon neutrality.
• To explore the potential of urban agriculture for carbon dioxide sequestration.
• To advocate for the integration of enhanced rock weathering into urban farming practices.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on urban farming and carbon sequestration.
• Analysis of the potential for atmospheric carbon sequestration in urban agricultural systems.
• Proposal for incorporating enhanced rock weathering (ERW) as a negative emissions technology.

Main Results:

• Urban farming leverages extensive surface areas (roofs, balconies, vertical spaces) for food production and carbon sequestration.
• Air-to-soil contact in urban farms facilitates atmospheric CO2 uptake.
• Enhanced rock weathering presents a recognized negative emissions technology with potential for increased utilization.

Conclusions:

• Urban farming offers a practical approach to carbon neutrality by utilizing urban spaces for sequestration.
• Integrating enhanced rock weathering into urban farming can significantly boost carbon sequestration capacity.
• This integrated approach enhances the potential of negative emissions technologies in urban settings.