Uncategorized
MSU biologist: Planting along roadways can capture carbon emissions
Published
9 years agoon
MSU NEWS SERVICE
BOZEMAN – The nation’s roadside landscaping could capture and store millions of tons of carbon dioxide, according to new research from Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute.
At the annual meeting of the North American Congress for Conservation Biology held this summer in Missoula, WTI researcher Rob Ament described how federal roadways currently absorb the emissions of approximately 7.6 million cars and could be managed to absorb the emissions of millions more.
“There is a lot of potential there, given that our study only accounted for those roads and highways that are managed by federal land management agencies, such as the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management,” Ament said.
Since plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, shrubs and grasses combat carbon emissions. With more active management, the landscape along our roadways could become a significant carbon sequestration source, Ament said.
Carbon sequestration is a process of removing and storing carbon that might otherwise get released into the atmosphere. Engineers and scientists have proposed pumping carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants underground where it can be stored in certain geological formations. Plants naturally sequester carbon when they convert carbon dioxide into carbon during photosynthesis.
Ament’s study, performed for the Federal Highway Administration, showed roadside plants on federal lands – national parks, wildlife refuges, forests and other areas – currently capture some 7 million metric tons of carbon each year, the carbon equivalent of the average annual emissions from 5 million cars, Ament said.
“From plants growing in the right of way of the national highway system alone, we are absorbing enough carbon to neutralize the annual emissions of 2.6 million cars,” he said. “And if we can adjust how we plant and manage roadside landscapes across the nation, I think we can significantly increase the capacity of those areas.”
Roads traversing federally owned lands, which amount to about 10.5 percent of the nation’s public roads, are already growing plants that capture nearly 2 percent of total U.S. transportation carbon emissions. The FHWA could increase carbon storage by using the optimal mix of plantings, maintaining grass up to 6 inches, rather than at the “golf course” profile of 2 inches.
“There is a significant amount of [carbon capture and sequestration] going on right now, passively,” Ament said. “So the next step is to research active management techniques and take a good hard look at what’s possible.”
The Western Transportation Institute at MSU was established in 1994 to provide innovative solutions to transportation problems at all levels, from local to international. More information about the WTI is available at westerntransportationinstitute.org.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm