In olden, pre-industrial-revolution times, trees captured carbon from the atmosphere, and turned it into air we breathe. However, they lacked the capacity to cope with the huge carbon increase caused by burning fossil fuels. Moreover, great forests were destroyed to make wooden sleepers for railway lines. There have been efforts at reverse engineering carbon accumulation since then but progress has been slow.
A Practical Proposal for Reverse Engineering Carbon Pollution
A company called Carbon Engineering in Calgary, Canada thinks it has the answer to the mess that we are in. It says it has found a way to ‘capture CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. And synthesize it into clean transportation fuels that are drop-in compatible with existing engines’.
If this is true – and Bill Gates is already bankrolling it – then hope appears to be on the horizon. Hope that reverse engineering carbon can halt the greenhouse effect that could melt the icecaps. We hope this will provide breathing space for humanity to come to terms with the folly of our ways, and find agreement to go forward together.
How the Carbon Engineering Proposal Would Work
The Carbon Engineering company already has a working example to show. Phase one of their method captures carbon dioxide directly from the air, which they scrub with a strong hydroxide solution to convert it into carbonate.
The second phase produces a pure stream of carbon dioxide. They then synthesize this into gasoline, diesel, or jet aviation fuel using hydrogen split from water powered by electricity. In practical terms, their plant sucks air into a modified cooling tower to begin the process.
In this way, they hope to give Earth a double gift by reverse engineering carbon in the atmosphere. Their first gift is less carbon in the mix. Their second is using the product to provide an alternative to fossil fuel that created the carbon in the first place. We are not promoting the company. We just wanted to share our hope.
Related
Climate Change Part 18: 6 Billion Tons of Carbon 1990
How Carbon is Running Ahead of Plants
Preview Image: The Carbon Capture Process
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/mG9FZ9zqOdo
