Dirk Paessler
@dpaessler.bsky.social
Our mission is to speed up negative emissions
CEO Carbon Drawdown Initiative https://www.carbon-drawdown.de
VP Negative Emissions Platform https://negative-emissions.org/
CEO Carbon Drawdown Initiative https://www.carbon-drawdown.de
VP Negative Emissions Platform https://negative-emissions.org/
Today, I choose smaller, more hands-on teams. I work with a small scientific crew in our greenhouse, invest in startups, and help others scale, all while enjoying the view.
Every new building marked progress and added tethers. Growth must be sustainable for the company and the leader alike.
Every new building marked progress and added tethers. Growth must be sustainable for the company and the leader alike.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Today, I choose smaller, more hands-on teams. I work with a small scientific crew in our greenhouse, invest in startups, and help others scale, all while enjoying the view.
Every new building marked progress and added tethers. Growth must be sustainable for the company and the leader alike.
Every new building marked progress and added tethers. Growth must be sustainable for the company and the leader alike.
Within a year, my health forced a reckoning. By 2017, I had announced my exit. I learned that I 𝘤𝘢𝘯 run a company with hundreds, just not without a price I’m no longer willing to pay.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Within a year, my health forced a reckoning. By 2017, I had announced my exit. I learned that I 𝘤𝘢𝘯 run a company with hundreds, just not without a price I’m no longer willing to pay.
Each additional hire added a tiny tether to the founder’s energy, like the Lilliputians tugging on Gulliver. For me, that meant up to ~80 conversations a day with employees. Some leaders thrive on that. I don’t. Having that many conversations was (and still is) quite draining.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Each additional hire added a tiny tether to the founder’s energy, like the Lilliputians tugging on Gulliver. For me, that meant up to ~80 conversations a day with employees. Some leaders thrive on that. I don’t. Having that many conversations was (and still is) quite draining.
However, the hidden cost showed up fast. Our opening party drew more than 400 people. It should’ve been peak pride, but felt like my worst day.
Why? Because I had burned out.
Why? Because I had burned out.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
However, the hidden cost showed up fast. Our opening party drew more than 400 people. It should’ve been peak pride, but felt like my worst day.
Why? Because I had burned out.
Why? Because I had burned out.
We moved into our own 7,000 sqm HQ on the airport approach path in Nürnberg, and put a huge “PAESSLER” on the roof that was visible on both final descent of incoming flights and on Google Maps (where this photo is from). Success finally had a physical shape.
November 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
We moved into our own 7,000 sqm HQ on the airport approach path in Nürnberg, and put a huge “PAESSLER” on the roof that was visible on both final descent of incoming flights and on Google Maps (where this photo is from). Success finally had a physical shape.
If you work on EW deployment, MRV or modelling, the details matter here. We summarise the key results, implications, and what we are doing next (including new experiments and sample collaborations) in the blog.
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
If you work on EW deployment, MRV or modelling, the details matter here. We summarise the key results, implications, and what we are doing next (including new experiments and sample collaborations) in the blog.
* A large part of “theoretical” CDR is delayed or locked in soil processes that current models and MRV approaches may not yet capture well.
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
* A large part of “theoretical” CDR is delayed or locked in soil processes that current models and MRV approaches may not yet capture well.
* Alkalinity export alone underestimates and can even misrepresent CDR. In our experiment, 10–50× more cations stayed in soil pools than left in leachate over 1–2 years.
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
* Alkalinity export alone underestimates and can even misrepresent CDR. In our experiment, 10–50× more cations stayed in soil pools than left in leachate over 1–2 years.
* Soil type is as important as rock type. pH, clay content, carbonates and CEC can completely change whether added rock dust shows up as measurable alkalinity export or mostly stays in the soil.
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
* Soil type is as important as rock type. pH, clay content, carbonates and CEC can completely change whether added rock dust shows up as measurable alkalinity export or mostly stays in the soil.
In the blog post linked below, we walk through what we actually saw when we tracked alkalinity in leachate and cation retention in soils.
A few takeaways for EW and CDR projects:
A few takeaways for EW and CDR projects:
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
In the blog post linked below, we walk through what we actually saw when we tracked alkalinity in leachate and cation retention in soils.
A few takeaways for EW and CDR projects:
A few takeaways for EW and CDR projects:
After five years of EW field&lab work and a two‑year greenhouse experiment (focussed on a subset of 4 soil types, 13 rock and industrial feedstocks), our new preprint on enhanced weathering has gone online on EGUsphere.
November 25, 2025 at 4:03 PM
After five years of EW field&lab work and a two‑year greenhouse experiment (focussed on a subset of 4 soil types, 13 rock and industrial feedstocks), our new preprint on enhanced weathering has gone online on EGUsphere.
If you want to dive deeper into this visualization, visit our blog at
www.carbon-drawdown.de/blog/2024-4-...
www.carbon-drawdown.de/blog/2024-4-...
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
If you want to dive deeper into this visualization, visit our blog at
www.carbon-drawdown.de/blog/2024-4-...
www.carbon-drawdown.de/blog/2024-4-...
The overall effect shows a small net loss of soil carbon, highlighting the challenge of achieving sustainable farming.
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The overall effect shows a small net loss of soil carbon, highlighting the challenge of achieving sustainable farming.
The chart also shows how the harvested corn and remaining plant residues cycle through the system, either being removed from the field or tilled back into the soil, impacting the soil carbon pool.
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The chart also shows how the harvested corn and remaining plant residues cycle through the system, either being removed from the field or tilled back into the soil, impacting the soil carbon pool.
• 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗘𝗥𝗪): Basalt rock dust is added to the soil, which reacts with CO₂ to form bicarbonates. This process removes about 50 g of carbon per year from the system by washing it away with leaching water. This is a “negative emission”.
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
• 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗘𝗥𝗪): Basalt rock dust is added to the soil, which reacts with CO₂ to form bicarbonates. This process removes about 50 g of carbon per year from the system by washing it away with leaching water. This is a “negative emission”.
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝘅𝗲𝘀:
• 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀: Plants pull about 750 g of carbon from the air.
• 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Microbes in the soil release about 180 g of carbon as CO₂ back to the atmosphere.
• 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀: Plants pull about 750 g of carbon from the air.
• 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Microbes in the soil release about 180 g of carbon as CO₂ back to the atmosphere.
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝘅𝗲𝘀:
• 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀: Plants pull about 750 g of carbon from the air.
• 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Microbes in the soil release about 180 g of carbon as CO₂ back to the atmosphere.
• 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘀𝘆𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀: Plants pull about 750 g of carbon from the air.
• 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Microbes in the soil release about 180 g of carbon as CO₂ back to the atmosphere.
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀:
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗿: The atmosphere, which is the source of carbon for the plants.
• 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲: The cornfield itself, which draws carbon from the air.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻: Carbon stored in the topsoil.
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗿: The atmosphere, which is the source of carbon for the plants.
• 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲: The cornfield itself, which draws carbon from the air.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻: Carbon stored in the topsoil.
November 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀:
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗿: The atmosphere, which is the source of carbon for the plants.
• 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲: The cornfield itself, which draws carbon from the air.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻: Carbon stored in the topsoil.
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗿: The atmosphere, which is the source of carbon for the plants.
• 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲: The cornfield itself, which draws carbon from the air.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻: Carbon stored in the topsoil.
I do acknowledge the progress made in the communique and the huge work that was put into it by thousands of people. But as long as we cannot call the primary problem by its name we aren't doing our job, and we fail future generations.
November 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
I do acknowledge the progress made in the communique and the huge work that was put into it by thousands of people. But as long as we cannot call the primary problem by its name we aren't doing our job, and we fail future generations.
“The COP30 climate summit fails to secure new pledges to cut fossil fuels after running over time for more than 18 hours” writes the BBC. And that while the climate saboteurs from Washington weren't even there.
November 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
“The COP30 climate summit fails to secure new pledges to cut fossil fuels after running over time for more than 18 hours” writes the BBC. And that while the climate saboteurs from Washington weren't even there.
In den DGINA Daten sieht es z.Zt. eher nach weiterem Abwärtstrend aus.
@martin46er1.bsky.social
@martin46er1.bsky.social
November 22, 2025 at 3:16 PM
In den DGINA Daten sieht es z.Zt. eher nach weiterem Abwärtstrend aus.
@martin46er1.bsky.social
@martin46er1.bsky.social