Elise Cutts: The surprising way we can cool the planet

The surprising way we can cool the planet

Mount Teide is one of the world’s largest active volcanoes, and there may be a way to use the basalt rock inside it to save humanity. Obviously, destroying an ancient volcano would cause catastrophic and unpredictable ecological fallout. But what if we harvested only some of that basalt— could it really stop climate change? Elise Cutts explores the fascinating science of enhanced rock weathering. [Directed by Ivana Volda, narrated by Susan Zimmerman, music by Stephen LaRosa].

Harnessing the natural process of rock weathering could play a powerful role in fighting climate change. By crushing and spreading fast-weathering rocks like basalt across farmlands, scientists estimate we could lock away over 200 gigatons of carbon dioxide in 75 years. This method relies on Earth’s own chemistry, using rain and rock to transform carbon dioxide into stable forms trapped in the ocean for millennia. While the approach is practical and uses existing technology, scaling it to global levels brings formidable challenges and potential risks.