Biological systems for uptake of carbon dioxide

Photosynthetic processes provide environmentally sustainable mechanisms for removal of CO₂. Biological systems produce biomass which can act as a reservoir of carbon or as a direct substitute for fossil fuels. Three alternative strategies are examined and compared: Sequestration of carbon by reforestation; growing energy crops to offset the use of fossil fuels; and the use of photobiology and photobiochemistry. This report concludes that it is more efficient to use land to grow biomass for energy, offsetting fossil fuel use, than to simply sequester CO₂ in forests. Biological systems are among the most promising alternatives for reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels in combination with improved energy efficiencies. A comparative study is shown for 16 European countries, the USA and Japan.