www.ProjectVesta.org 1

PROJECT VESTA

ACCELERATING EARTH’S NATURAL PROCESSOF REMOVING CO2 FROM THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH ROCK WEATHERING

TURNING THE TIDE ON CLIMATECHANGE WITH GREEN SAND BEACHES

www.ProjectVesta.org 2

A MISSION TO DRAMATICALLY ACCELERATE THE REMOVAL OF CO2 EMISSIONS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE

Weathering is the process of rocks breaking down from contact with CO2, water, and ocean organisms. When this process is increased, we know it has the potential to cool the planet. In fact, the last 3 ice ages were all caused by the weathering of large quantities of volcanic rock near the equator.

For billions of years, the CO2 released from volcanic activity was kept in balance by the weathering of volcanic rock.The Earth’s natural cycle of releasing and capturing carbon has been pushed out of balance by humanity and our industrial pursuits. Today, the current release of CO2 by humans is now more than 40X the natural, long-term carbon cycle’s historical removal rate via weathering.

However, we have an advantage over nature in that we can combine and accelerate the steps of the weathering process by choosing the fastest-weathering rock and placing it a location that naturally and rapidly accelerates the weathering process.

Fastest-weathering volcanic rock:Olivine

Fastest-Weathering Location: Warm, high-energy, tropical beaches

www.ProjectVesta.org 3

OLIVINE: UNIQUELY SUITED TO REMOVE CO2 FROM THE ATMOSPHERE, DE-ACIDIFY THE OCEANS, AND REGENERATE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS

Olivine, more commonly known as the gemstone peridot, is the fastest weathering volcanic rock. When it comes in contact with water+CO2, it undergoes a chemical reaction that transforms CO2 into the material used by corals use to build their skeletons, and then eventually turns to rock.

(1) REMOVE & STORE CO2 (2) DE-ACIDIFY (3) FERTILIZE

Olivine is the optimal rock for the process because, in addition to being the fastest to weather and remove carbon dioxide, it is highly abundant and inexpensive. Its chemical makeup also offers additional benefits to the ocean.

The chemical reaction yields an alkaline solution, that de-acidifies the ocean while providing the materials that marine organisms, including corals and diatoms, use to build their shells.

1 Ton of Olivine Weathered = 1.25 Tons of CO2 Removed

TOP LINE NUMBERS FOR GLOBAL LEVEL CO2 EMISSION REMOVAL:

7 Cubic Miles Volume of Olivine Mined & Weathered = 100% of Yearly Anthropogenic

CO2 Emissions Removed

2% of the World’s Shelf Seas, Preferably Near the Equator

1 Ton of Olivine Weathered = 1.25 Tons of CO2 Removed

www.ProjectVesta.org 4

SETTLING THE SCIENCE ACCELERATING EARTH’S LONG-TERM CARBON REMOVAL PROCESSThe last 3 ice ages were caused by the exposure of massive amounts of volcanic type rock near the equator.

Some scientists have attempted to question the speed of olivine weathering, but none of them take into account the effects that tumbling has on grain-on-grain collisions and surface abrasion. These effects dramatically speed up the reaction.

Simple experiments in desktop shakers (right) and flume experiments (below) clearly show the weathering rate is greatly accelerated by motion.

Project Vesta plans to definitively prove the real-world, accelerated weathering rate of olivine on tropical beaches, so we can move on from debates about the speed to debates about the deployment plan. We have a 5 Phase plan to go from a Pilot Project to Global Scale CO2 removal.

These images show how 40 million years ago there was no ice coverage, and then as the Himalayan Mountains and Tibet Plateau began to rise over the next 35 million years, so much volcanic rock was exposed to weathering near the equator, that it caused an ice age.

DEFINITIVE ACCELERATED WEATHERING RATE

10 days of olivine weathering in a desktop shaker leads to cloudy water due to chipping of particles

Note rapid rise in pH as olivine reacts with CO2

Tumbling breaks down the silica coating that rapidly forms on olivine, and smooths out the rocks

www.ProjectVesta.org 5

Small scale project to demonstrate the real-world weathering rate of olivine on an actual beach, as well as confirm benefits to the ecosystem and safety data.

PHASE I: PILOT TEST BEACH

GREENING OUR BEACHES: THE PLANFROM PILOT PROJECT TO GLOBAL SCALE CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVALProject Vesta has an incremental and scalable plan that can get up to the level of removing more than the entirety of humanity’s CO2 output each year. As the most abundant mineral in the upper mantle, there are enough olivine reserves to bring us back to pre-industrial atmospheric CO2 levels. Total global scale CO2 removal (Phase V) levels of olivine mining would require less miners than currently mine coal in China (around 0.2% of global population), while requiring less than 2% of tropical shelf seas. The main barrier that stands in the way of deployment is a scientific consensus on the real-world accelerated weathering rate of olivine on tropical beaches.

To date, no experiment has been carried out to prove the accelerated rate on an actual tropical beach. We plan to change that by deploying a Pilot Project and we are inviting scientists and other domain experts to help us collaboratively design an experiment that it is replicable, verifiable, and yields a weathering rate that is accepted by the scientific community. Further, before scaling up, we want to demonstrate the safety and additional benefits to the marine ecosystem that arise from the process, such as ocean deacidification in the immediate area and support for oxygen-creating diatoms.

Project Vesta has partnered with Deltares, an independent Dutch institute specializing in applied ecological research, to help design, model, and measure the rate of olivine weathering on our projects.

As countries aim to reach carbon neutrality, they will need scaleable and viable carbon dioxide removal technologies to get all the way to their goals.. Olivine sand beaches are a financially viable solution to help them achieve it

PHASE III: CARBON NEUTRAL COUNTRIES

A network of olivine sand beaches around the world that will demonstrate the power of carbon removal and catalyze further action for society to actively combat CO2 induced climate change.

PHASE II: IMPACT BEACH(ES)

The atmosphere spans borders, and so should our efforts to remove carbon from it. Entire regions could take advantage of optimal geography and collaborate to more efficiently scale up mining and distribution

PHASE IV: REGIONAL SCALE REMOVAL

It will take the whole planet to save the planet. Olivine is located all over the world, and a global effort would unite countries with varying resources, labor skills, and coastlines.

PHASE V: GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED BEACHHEADS

www.ProjectVesta.org 6

BETTER, TOGETHER. SPECIES-LEVEL COOPERATION TO REVERSE GLOBAL WARMING

Project Vesta is a nonprofit, open-source, and globally distributed endeavor. Our organization will take an active role in creating beaches and act as a clearinghouse for proposed olivine projects - carrying out CO2 life cycle assessment for the projects and calculating the dissolution rates for specific beaches. Our open group invites anyone with skills to add to the effort to join our team and contribute.

Bringing balance back to the planet and the carbon cycle is a major undertaking, requiring coordination and action by a global community.

1

2

PROJECT VESTA IS A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED PROJECT IN TWO WAYS:

"Spreading of olivine in the world’s 2% most energetic shelf seas can compensate a year’s global CO2 emissions and counteract ocean acidification… Olivine and other (ultra)mafic minerals in high-energy shallow-marine environments

weather fast. Their application can make a significant contribution in the fight against climate change. The counteracting effect on ocean acidification is immediate. Large-scale spreading of olivine in shelf seas with adequate tidal currents and

wave action can be started any moment."

Olaf Schuiling & P. L. de Boer - Professors of Geoscience, Utrecht University

As responsible citizens and stewards of spaceship Earth - join us in the fight to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and restore ecosystem health.

To join the mission, please fill out the “Get Involved” form on the Project Vesta website.

Project Vesta will be working to shift the cultural relationship with carbon, creating a visceral connection to its removal by selling olivine inlaid jewelry (as a not-for-profit) to the public. Each piece will correspond directly to a specific quantity of olivine placed on a beach in the purchaser’s name. For example, the price of $25/month, a $300 necklace would be directly responsible for getting 12 tons of olivine on a beach, which will ultimately remove 15 tons of CO2 (approx. US individual’s yearly footprint) from the atmosphere. Eventually, we hope to replace the value given to the carbon in a diamond wedding ring, with the value of the carbon removal funded by the purchase of an olivine (peridot) wedding ring, which could remove enough CO2 to offset a person’s entire life or a couple’s entire future CO2 footprint..

www.ProjectVesta.org 7

Project Vesta Team

DELTARESInstitute For Applied Research

POL KNOPSLead Scientific Advisor

Dutch independent institute focused on solutions for costal regions and will design the experiments to accurately calculate the dissolution rate of olivine on our beaches.

Pol has a Master of Science in Applied Physics and is author on more than 10 studies on olivine weathering and dissolution kinetics.

Kelly is a systems and operations specialist with a background in carbon tech. She’s Co-Founder and COO of Ecozoic Resources, a waterless biofiltration toilet company, and uses her experience to keep Project Vesta flowing smoothly.

ERIC MATZNER DAVID SNEIDER

David knows how to create a global movement, in fact, he created Galactic Tick Day, which celebrates our solar system’s movement around the Milky Way and is the founder of a decentralized collaboration network.

KELLY ERHART

Eric started a climate change mitigation think-tank and in the process of vetting ideas, discovered the concept of accelerated weathering on beaches. When he realized it was not being pursued, he set out to change that.