Adom turns Japanese as WA book goes global

A picture book on carbon capture and storage (CCS) written and illustrated by primary students in a small town in the South-West of Western Australia, is going global. A Day in the Life of a Carbon Atom, Starring: Adom has been translated into Japanese as part of a drive by the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute to use the book internationally to educate young readers about the carbon cycle and sustainable energy.

The Japanese version of Adom, by leading Australian translator Heather Glass, was launched by Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion at Perth’s Japanese Weekend School. Mr Marmion said he was proud the State Government had funded the Adom project in 2013 with $200,000 in sponsorship to help CSIRO expand its Sustainable Futures science education program into regional areas, to complement the South West Hub project. “This ingeniously simple but effective way of explaining carbon capture and storage is already being used in Australia, the UK and Canada,” he said.

“Adom has come a long way since he was created two years ago by 21 Year 6 and 7 students at St Michael’s Catholic Primary School in Brunswick Junction. Now, after a trial run with students at the Japanese Weekend School, Adom will head to Japan to help tackle carbon emissions.”

The Minister said the decision to use the book in Japanese schools was timely because fossil fuel power generation was compensating for the closure of Japan’s nuclear power stations. Carbon capture and storage technology being pioneered in Western Australia may help Japan to achieve its 2030 target of a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.

“Worldwide, the International Energy Agency estimates CCS could contain up to 13 per cent of global carbon emissions.”

The South West Hub project is investigating the potential to permanently store up to 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year deep underground near Harvey and complements the CSIRO’s $48.4 million National Geosequestration Laboratory, opened in Perth last month. Drilling at four South West Hub sites has identified sandstone with CCS potential, and analysis of core samples is being carried out by CSIRO, The University of Western Australia and Curtin University

For more information, visit http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/ccs