Low carbon now, renewable later
We need to keep CO2 levels down over the next 30 years. We also need to be ready to start pumping CO2 out of the atmosphere with advanced energy technology in the second half of the century.
The first thing that needs to stop is chopping down forests and burning wood chips. This might be "sustainable" over a 100 years, but short term it puts a lot of CO2 in the air for each unit of energy. Also big trees are much better at taking CO2 out of the air than the saplings that follow. This source of energy is a crime against the world.
A wind turbine might only last 25 years, but the concrete base and transmission lines last 3 times longer, so we only need to count a third of the emissions needed to make them? Wrong. This is technology that has no chance of being competitive in 25 years time.
These are just examples. Evaluating massive expenditure for new energy needs to pick solutions that are low carbon quickly.
It is also correct to address CO2 levels in a temporary way that cannot, or should not, be continued indefinitely. Enhancing the productivity of the oceans is almost certainly one of the best options, Apart from fertilisation, which might not need much more than iron ore, there are some clever ideas for providing artificial support structures for creatures, such as oysters, that like to attach to something.
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