1. Motivation

Environmental interactions are instrumental to sustainability of life on our planet. Evolution of life adapts to the environment and encompasses a wide range of phenomena, from the emergence of major lineages to mass extinctions. This book invites you to learn the science of carbon management, with particular focus on carbon capture and storage in geological formations. Rather than jumping to any conclusions, we will review the current state of knowledge and discuss the risks, available options, and likely scenarios. In the early chapters, students and avid readers who are passionate about the global challenges, can learn the basics about greenhouse gases and their role in the Earth’s radiative balance, about natural carbon cycles and the challenges of controlled carbon management (capture, storage a.k.a. sequestration, and utilization) including the role of fossil fuels and common geological materials. More advanced chapters are reserved for recent research developments in understanding the nature of interactions between greenhouse gases and ubiquitous geomaterials, such as clay. Motivation for this exciting effort is to elucidate the state of understanding in the science of clay—CO₂ interactions, to bridge between traditional and modern geoscience perspectives, and to introduce consistent terminology that will facilitate communication between different generations and areas of scientific and technological inquiry.