We all know that the increase in atmospheric CO2 is affecting the planet’s climate. We also are all painfully aware that if we somehow stopped injecting CO2 into the air today that the climate would still continue to be affected for decades to come by the levels of CO2 already there.
And yet we discuss reducing the amount of CO2 back to year 2000 levels? Over the next 12 years? We talk about buying more fuel efficient cars (some of us!) and turning off TV’s at night.
It has always concerned me that there is no talk of reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, as opposed to merely putting less CO2 into the air.
Recently, however, I read a report from the Los Alamos National Laboratory which said that they have developed
a low-risk, transformational concept, called Green Freedom™, for large-scale production of carbon-neutral, sulfur-free fuels and organic chemicals from air and water… At the heart of the technology is a new process for extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and making it available for fuel production using a new form of electrochemical separation.
If this were anyone other than Los Alamos I’d be saying asking if this process were being powered by cold fusion or a perpetual motion engine!
But because this is Los Alamos, we have to take it seriously.
They are announcing a technology to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and use it to fuel transportation? Sounds like two birds, one stone to me.
Is this too good to be true?
One Comment
That sounds great! If Los Alamos could produce even a small-scale proof-of-concept model, I’m sure that several major energy companies across the world would be willing to fund and commit to eventually adopting the technology in a heartbeat.