The first megaton of CO2 removed from the atmosphere by humans stands beneath Venice, and for over a thousand years, it has proven its sustainability. More than ten million wooden piles form the foundation of everything built on the 118 islands in the lagoon. By driving piles at high densities, the foundations could be reused infinitely. Every time a building collapsed, caught fire, or was demolished to make way for a church or palazzo even more impressive than the last, it was built on the same foundation. This is how the first church was built in 423 CE. on an Underground Forest
Can we use this principle to combat climate change? It raises many questions.
Heien met hout wordt ook al vijfhonderd jaar in Nederland toegepast en zolang de paalkoppen onder het grondwaterpeil blijven, houden houten palen nog steeds bijna alle gebouwen van voor 1940 overeind. Toen werd beton populair. De meeste vooroorlogse huizen hadden om de paar meter een paal die met de punt in de eerste zandlaag stak, maar soms werd in dichtheden gebouwd die dicht bij die van Venetië komen. Het Paleis op de Dam staat op 13.863 houten palen. Dat zijn er tweeëneenhalve per vierkante meter. Ook het Rotterdamse Witte Huis, eind negentiende eeuw nog het hoogste gebouw van Europa, staat nog altijd fier op houten palen.
CarbonFix (www.carbonfix.org) has provided a substantial loan. Uncompromise (www.uncompromise.vc) has 10% equity and the province of Zuid Holland has commisioned the reserch project at Veenweiden Innovatiecentrum (VIC)
Before the massive use of fossil fuels, the climate has undergone great changes too, but the addition of fossil carbon to the cycle at the earth’s surface happened in such a short time that nature can’t adapt fast enough and mankind is struck by disasters. About 20% of the CO2 in the atmosphere originates from fossil fuel sources. So you could say that 20% of all molecules of CO2 in the air are guilty molecules that shouldn’t be there.
A tree doesn’t distinguish between guilty and innocent molecules, so when it does its photosynthesis trick, 20% of the carbon atoms it uses to grow, creates guilty wood. One fifth of a present day forest is guilty as it is formed from carbon atoms that used to be the building blocks of coal, oil and gas. Guilty wood needs no punishment, but we can’t allow its carbon to go back into the atmosphere. We must preserve the guilty wood for the next 300 million years. After all, the plants and trees of 300 million years ago formed the coal that we’re still burning.
Yearly 4 billion cubic meters of wood is harvested. If we would increase production to 5 billion cubic meters, we could preserve 1 billion of them. That is 20% of the harvest and the equivalent of 750 megatonnes of CO2 per year or 5% of the yearly removals that are needed to get the climate back under control. Underground Forest has developed a methodology to do just that.
Are you interested in net-negative construction with minimal concrete use?
Are you looking for high-quality offsets for your hard-to-avoid emissions?
Want to buy or sell carbon credits?
