The Good News is…
by Melanie White
We’re always hearing about global warming or climate change, and the reason that is often given is that there are too many greenhouse gasses.
Luckily, according to the E & T (Engineering and Technology) website https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2019/02/six-ideas-for-co2-reuse-a-pollutant-or-a-resource/ , there are some ways to take CO2 out of the atmosphere and turn it into something valuable instead.
One thing CO2 emissions can be used to do is build concrete. If successful, all types of things could be built: homes, buildings, bridges, and roads. Given the expense of transporting rock, if companies can figure out how to manufacture this concrete near places where lots of building is happening, this process could also be economically competitive.
Another product that can be made with CO2 emissions is cement. To do this, the gas is combined with calcium to create calcium carbonate, which can be dried to make cement. This would definitely be a change from how concrete is conventionally manufactured, which is responsible for 6% of global carbon emissions. The biggest challenge companies face is finding investors for this green cement technology.
Interestingly, CO2 can be fed to algae to make carbon fiber, a material known for being really strong and also very light weight. Currently making this material is estimated by some to require more energy than making steel, partially because it’s made from petroleum. Using algae-based carbon fibers would not only help the environment but it would also be 10 times cheaper, especially if grown on the Mediterranean coast where easy access to seawater and a warm climate would reduce the cost of cultivating the algae.
Carbon fibers can be used in buildings, but so can foam insulation. Luckily, a British company has developed a process that incorporates carbon dioxide emissions into polyurethane foams used in things like car seats, mattresses, furniture upholstery, and housing insulation. Retrofitting this insulation could not only slash but also trap emissions. This process would also prevent emissions that are created by the way this process is currently done. In fact, it’s estimated that it could prevent 3.5 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, the equivalent of getting two million cars off the road. It would also be less expensive.
Researchers in Scotland have grown algae to feed baby oysters to try to restore their population in Europe. Doing so could isolate some of the gas that warms the climate. Oysters have carbon in their shells, and with four million oysters on the coast of the North Sea, this could have a significant effect. Along with the oysters, algae could also be fed locally farmed salmon.
Turing carbon dioxide emissions into a fossil fuel replacement is an energy-intensive process, but the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory published a paper proposing an more energy-efficient solution. The team also just got funding to test the concept in the industry to look for ways to lower how much energy is used in the process and to make the cost more competitive.
Let’s not just talk about problems; let’s come up with solutions!
Inspirational Quote: “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” –Albert Einstein
Joke: I don’t know if it’s global warming or menopause. I just know that I’m occasionally hotter than I used to be.
Advice: Never believe an angry-looking woman with her arms crossed who tells you there’s nothing wrong. She might not want to tell you what it is, but there’s definitely something wrong!