Abstract

The postulate that CO₂ is responsible for global warming is accepted by most governments which put in place restrictions and compensation for emissions of this gas. This resulted in the development of a carbon market and of the practice of carbon capture and storage (CCS), mainly by geological burying. CCS by plants, which allows the return of CO₂ to the atmosphere, should be preferred to CCS by burying which contributes to its lithification. Plant production captures this gas directly from the atmosphere using solar energy and stores it for a few months to a few centuries. Plant CCS figures are calculated for the world, the United States, Europe, France and Kenya, then compared to CCS ambitions. They show that agriculture and forestry absorb 21GtCO₂/year, more than half of global emissions by combustion of fossil hydrocarbons. This CCS function devolved to the peasantry complements that of supplying humanity with essential foodstuffs and should constitute a new source of remuneration for professions which often struggle to transmit, invest and innovate to ensure their future.

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