Cascade Climate

Join us next week on Thursday, November 14th, 2024 at 12:00PM ET for an information session and Q&A for our ERW Field Data Partnership Grants RFP process hosted by Pritha G., John Sanchez, and Noah Anderson. Register here: https://lu.ma/pjmx9xl1 Read the full RFP Solicitation post here: https://lnkd.in/es4JQm6E -- Cascade is excited to solicit research proposals between $20,000 and $200,000 that aim to collect high-quality ERW field datasets on existing deployments. Proposals will be awarded to scientific partnerships, in which Deployment Partners agree to open up an existing deployment site for additional monitoring and help coordinate logistics, and Researchers co-propose a study, collect and analyze the data, and publish the results. We believe that this partnership model—in which researchers “piggyback” on existing deployments to carry out additional measurements—can accelerate the collection of novel field datasets in ERW. These partnerships can tackle high-priority research questions at decreased logistical and cost burden for researchers, and enable greater scientific learning from the current wave of commercial ERW activity.

Cascade Climate is excited to announce an RFP for Enhanced Rock Weathering Field Data Partnership Grants! Cascade is excited to solicit research proposals between $20,000 and $200,000 that aim to collect high-quality ERW field datasets on existing deployments. Proposals will be awarded to scientific partnerships, in which Deployment Partners agree to open up an existing deployment site for additional monitoring and help coordinate logistics, and Researchers co-propose a study, collect and analyze the data, and publish the results. We believe that this partnership model—in which researchers “piggyback” on existing deployments to carry out additional measurements—can accelerate the collection of novel field datasets in ERW. These partnerships can tackle high-priority research questions at decreased logistical and cost burden for researchers, and enable greater scientific learning from the current wave of commercial ERW activity. Cascade Climate welcomes the creativity of the ERW community to propose datasets that would advance the field, and is excited about datasets that can address the R&D gaps laid out in our recently published “Foundations for Carbon Dioxide Removal Quantification in ERW Deployments”. The RFP closes on December 20, 2024. Please share this announcement widely, and help us bring more researchers into the community. If you are looking to form new partnerships for this RFP, we’ve got a lightweight networking spreadsheet to facilitate connections, which is linked in the comments below. https://lnkd.in/es4JQm6E

Cascade Climate is excited to announce an RFP for Enhanced Rock Weathering Field Data Partnership Grants! Cascade is excited to solicit research proposals between $20,000 and $200,000 that aim to collect high-quality ERW field datasets on existing deployments. Proposals will be awarded to scientific partnerships, in which Deployment Partners agree to open up an existing deployment site for additional monitoring and help coordinate logistics, and Researchers co-propose a study, collect and analyze the data, and publish the results. We believe that this partnership model—in which researchers “piggyback” on existing deployments to carry out additional measurements—can accelerate the collection of novel field datasets in ERW. These partnerships can tackle high-priority research questions at decreased logistical and cost burden for researchers, and enable greater scientific learning from the current wave of commercial ERW activity. Cascade Climate welcomes the creativity of the ERW community to propose datasets that would advance the field, and is excited about datasets that can address the R&D gaps laid out in our recently published “Foundations for Carbon Dioxide Removal Quantification in ERW Deployments”. The RFP closes on December 20, 2024. Please share this announcement widely, and help us bring more researchers into the community. If you are looking to form new partnerships for this RFP, we’ve got a lightweight networking spreadsheet to facilitate connections, which is linked in the comments below. https://lnkd.in/es4JQm6E

Today, Cascade Climate is introducing the ERW Data Quarry, the first-ever Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) data sharing system together with 10 leading ERW companies – Alt Carbon, Andes, Carbonaught Pty Ltd, Eion, Flux, InPlanet, Mati Carbon, Terradot, V6 Agronomy, and ZeroEx – who have proactively committed to sharing commercial datasets as a part of this system. This is one of the first systems of its kind to proactively share commercial data for the benefit of broad scientific learning in the CDR space. Frontier, as a leading catalytic buyer coalition in the space, has also committed to requiring dataset contributions to the ERW Data Quarry as part of recent pre-purchases and future ERW offtakes. Milkywire, another catalytic ERW buyer, will also incorporate data sharing requirements in their next major ERW purchase. These buyers are helping to signal the importance of community-wide data sharing in growing a quality ERW market. Enhanced Rock Weathering has immense potential to deliver meaningful carbon removal and agricultural benefits–but there remain a number of open scientific questions related to carbon removal quantification and safety that will be critical to address to unlock this potential. Providing access and visibility into the datasets of commercial ERW deployments – which cumulatively represent over 200x more area than all academic field trials combined – is critical to answer the most pressing scientific questions facing the field, and can help to jumpstart a virtuous cycle of deployment-led learning. At Cascade, we are committed to stewarding this data sharing process to support the ERW community in advancing the most pressing scientific questions – and we hope that this data sharing system is just the beginning. In the meantime, tip your hat to the leading companies who have rolled up their sleeves, moved from talk to action, and are committing real data to advance the state of ERW science. https://lnkd.in/guEaKNim Tannis Thorlakson Vilas Rao

Following the release of “Foundations for Carbon Dioxide Removal Quantification in Enhanced Rock Weathering Deployments” earlier this week, Cascade Climate is proud to release EMCE: an ERW MRV Cost Estimator tool. Practitioners—as well as the broader CDR and agriculture ecosystems—need tools and resources to better understand the cost implications of carrying out the ERW measurements needed to ensure high-rigor carbon removal quantification. In response, Cascade has developed and released a free-to-use cost estimator and accompanying cost database, collectively known as the ERW MRV Cost Estimator (“EMCE” for short). This tool allows users to choose among common measurement techniques for understanding carbon and cation fluxes in an ERW deployment, adjusting costs for each technique, and building an informed picture of stacked costs when pursuing different measurement options in quantifying carbon removal. The database pulls together over 1,000 global ERW-specific measurement cost estimates, compiling published costs and sourcing quotes from quarries, academic and commercial laboratories, and ERW suppliers. We invite ERW practitioners and researchers to use this tool, contribute your cost information to enrich the cost database, and help the ERW field paint a grounded and evidence-based picture about the current costs and future cost trajectories for ERW. https://lnkd.in/gFcM66HE arielle lok Hara Wang Noah Anderson John Sanchez Xiao Xiao Long

Today, Cascade Climate is thrilled to announce the release of “Foundations for Carbon Dioxide Removal Quantification in Enhanced Rock Weathering Deployments.” This groundbreaking, community-developed “Foundations” document creates a rich touchstone to help ensure a common core of quantification rigor as the community pursues deployment-driven learning about ERW. It distills today’s best available science and considerations for quantifying each component of ERW carbon and cation fluxes. So many of you helped make this happen. “Foundations" is the culmination of an intensive community process undertaken from October 2023 through August 2024, involving 50+ academic scientists, 20+ ERW project developers and other market actors, and a range of civil society organizations. We hope that “Foundations" will prove a valuable resource to many practitioners and researchers who set out to deploy and learn about ERW in the coming years. Looking beyond this moment of publication, we are actively working with many partners to translate all the guidance and insights captured in “Foundations” into real-world practice. We aim to steer early deployments to take on the needed level of site characterization, direct measurements, and other key building blocks of quantification rigor. As a community, we cannot unlock a faster and tighter cycle of deployment-led learning without doing so.? ? All of us at Cascade would like to express our immense gratitude to all of you who contributed your time and hard-won wisdom to this outcome of a remarkable community effort. The full publication and recognition of all the many participants can be found via the link in the comments below: Jennifer Mills John Sanchez Noemma Olagaray Alison Tune Hara Wang Noah Anderson Brad Rochlin Noah Planavsky Chris Reinhard Anu Khan Freya Chay Isabel Patricia Montanez Shuang Zhang Kate Maher

Cascade Climate is hiring for our next Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) Scientist! Are you a seasoned scientist with geochemical or soil expertise? A dynamic problem solver and doer ready to shape innovative climate solutions? We're seeking creative thinkers to help us advance our understanding of the science underpinning open system carbon removal approaches. If this sounds like you, apply at the link below and help us spread the word!

We appreciate this thoughtful article from the NYT at the start of Climate Week today around alkalinity enhancement, ocean-based carbon removal, and the complicated governance and public approval landscape that determines how fast research projects can get in the water. As Cascade Climate continues to expand our CDR work into oceans, rivers, and other open system pathways, it’s encouraging to see the footholds early field trials have been able to find within long-established restoration approaches and coastal industries to start building public awareness and chipping away at scientific questions. And a huge congrats to the CarbonRun and Stripe Frontier teams’ on today’s exciting announcement! https://lnkd.in/gav5cutB

We're thrilled to see such a strong and diverse cohort of companies selected in Frontier's latest round of carbon removal purchases, including several open system and alkalinity-based projects across multiple pathways. Congrats to those selected, and we are excited to see continued progress around high quality carbon quantification across the board.

As we enter our second year, we are excited to be expanding the depth and breadth of Cascade’s scientific expertise. Our latest team additions are helping Cascade partner in new ways and more deeply with industry, policymakers, and academics to accelerate the pace of progress of the Enhanced Rock Weathering field and other natural system climate interventions. We are thrilled to introduce four new members of the Cascade team! Tannis Thorlakson is a sustainability leader at the intersection of climate, agriculture, and technology, with a PhD in Environment and Resources from Stanford University. Most recently, she held leadership roles in sustainability and climate at Driscoll’s, the global fresh berry company.? Alison Tune is a hydro-biogeochemist with a PhD in Geological Sciences from University of Texas - Austin and most recently led the Earth Science and Ecology Group at Running Tide.? Pritha G. brings to Cascade deep experience researching and investing in breakthrough science and engineering with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University. She was previously a researcher at Homeworld Collective and the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), and a partner at Prime Movers. Noah Anderson joins Cascade from MIT, where he recently completed his PhD in Geochemistry and Geology with a focus on the carbonate system. Noah was also a Visiting Lecturer at Bates College in Earth and Climate Sciences. We are extremely privileged to have these incredible individuals join our team and our ambitious efforts to address the bottlenecks and uncertainties in natural system climate intervention fields. True to our culture, each one of them brings not only distinct scientific expertise but also a deep sense of humility and curiosity. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome!