A team of scientists at the Newcastle University are hard at work trying to engineer a special type of soils that will help in reducing the percentage of carbon dioxide present in the earth’s atmosphere. Usually when plants and trees recycle CO2 into oxygen some of the surplus carbon gets funneled down into the soil where it can freely get absorbed into the groundwater or re-enter the atmosphere. To prevent this ‘leakage’ of excess carbon, researchers are trying to come with a way to transform the stuff into calcium carbonate, effectively keeping it underground for good. The plan of action calls for man-made or natural soils with calcium-bearing silicates to be studied for their carbon soaking capacities. And if all goes as planned, we could see the designer dirt hitting our parks and gardens as soon as the end of the decade.
Source: Pop Sci
