Synthetic Tree Will Hopefully Capture Tons Of Carbon Dioxide, Save The Planet

Dan Nosowitz — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Scientists at Columbia University are working on a sort of synthetic tree that aims to capture about 1,000 times as much carbon dioxide as more organic versions. They’re hoping to extend the technology even to heavy-emitting cars and planes.

The units, demo versions of which already exist (this is assuredly not a concept), take CO2 in from the air and turn it into liquid, which is easier to store and manage. Professor Klaus Lackner, lead developer, notes that the synthetic trees are not designed to replace, say, coal plants that reduce emissions from the inside, but this could be one very useful plastic plant if it sees mass production. [CNN]

CO2 Scrubber Sucks Up Emissions From Cars, Home Heating

Gizmodo US Edition — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:30:00 +0000

University of Calgary scientists are working on a machine that would pull carbon dioxide from the air in an attempt to scrub out emissions from diffuse sources, such as car exhaust and home heating. These “diffuse emissions” account for roughly half of the CO2 that goes up into the sky every day, contributing to global warming.

The scrubber takes in air and binds the CO2 to sodium hydroxide. The heavier concoction is then sent through a few more chemical intermediaries, eventually resulting in a batch of separated CO2 that can be piped away, while the hydroxide gets fed back into the machine.

According to the university, the scrubbers can capture around a ton of carbon dioxide for less than 100 kwh of electricity, about ten times as much CO2 as was released to keep it running. Unfortunately, that’s not quite enough to keep it from being prohibitively expensive. The cheapest way to keep CO2 emissions out of the air is still not generating it in the first place. [Popsci]

Gizmodo Australia » emissions

Synthetic Tree Will Hopefully Capture Tons Of Carbon Dioxide, Save The Planet

CO2 Scrubber Sucks Up Emissions From Cars, Home Heating