“Boaz is helping our science team unlock the mysteries of CO2 removal and burial.” - Eyal Harel, CEO
Boaz Lazar grew up by the sea, fascinated by the thought of what could lie within its sparkling depths. The waters of the Mediterranean captivated him, beckoning him to explore. He would later make the sea part of his life’s work, earning degrees in oceanography and geology, and becoming an expert on the interaction between water and sediment and rocks. He would return to the sea to SCUBA dive into its depths as part of his many research projects, the once-foreign world becoming very familiar over many years of exploration.
Now Professor Emeritus of Geochemistry at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Hebrew University, Lazar holds decades of knowledge and experience related to water. His background and expertise make him the perfect addition to BlueGreen’s Board Advisory.
“We are excited to have Boaz on board. His wealth of knowledge is unmatched,” said Eyal Harel, CEO, BlueGreen. “Boaz is helping our science team unlock the mysteries of CO2 removal and burial.”
Lazar’s scientific work focuses on geochemical and biogeochemical processes at and near natural interfaces such as between seawater water (saline/fresh) and rocks (or sediments or particles) and water-atmosphere boundaries. His research covers a wide-scale variety of geological environments. He studied fluid inclusions within crystals, micro-gradients between seawater and electrode surfaces, stromatolites (microbial mats), coral reefs, pore-waters within corals and sediments, floods, and the open seawater column.
Q&A with Boaz Lazar
Question: Tell us how you will be using your expertise in your new position with BlueGreen?
Lazar: I'm very much into the CO2 system, obviously in the industry. And that's one of the inputs; that's why I'm now with BlueGreen. One of the things we try to determine is how can we estimate how long, when you drop organic matter down to the bottom of the lake, can you estimate how or which part will stay for a long time. We can figure out that we sequester the carbon for a certain amount of time. The question is for how long, and that’s where my expertise comes in.
Question: How do you figure that out?
Lazar: It’s all about reconstructing the sedimentary history of the targeted lake (or a water reservoir) using scientific observations followed by geochemical evaluations. Briefly, we study the depth profile of organic matter in the lake’s upper sedimentary column for which the depth versus time relation was predetermined (either by conducting radioactive dating or using a different time marker). And from this, you can evaluate models (set of equations), and estimate how much organic matter stays there for how long.
Question: What are your thoughts on joining the Board Advisory?
Lazar: It’s the first time for me to use my expertise actually for a company. I will be using my expertise to advise BlueGreen on evaluating this question of how long carbon remains sequestered. I’m excited to join the Board and to advise the team. I look forward to working with BlueGreen on this exciting new chapter of carbon removal.
Lazar has applied his expertise working on various applied projects over the years, among them: the fate of manganese in the soil aquifer treatment system of the Shafdan sewage reclamation plant; assessing the “environmental health” of coral reefs; serving on Lake Kinneret’s scientific steering committee, The Water Authority; assessing the environmental response of Haifa Bay to the impact of the industries on its shores; setting the basis for evaluating the status of the Kishon River, to name a few.
Fun Fact: Lazar’s favorite sea creature is the octopus. “Because they’re nice and clever.” His many friends can say the same of Lazar.
BlueGreen extends a warm welcome to Boaz Lazar and looks forward to many years of collaboration ahead.
