Chemist calls new CO2 breakthrough a 'viable solution' to climate change

[Pong Messiah]

Article

"Finding a technology to shift carbon dioxide (CO2), the most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, from a climate change problem to a valuable commodity has long been a dream of many scientists and government officials," the society wrote in a press release. "Now, a team of chemists says they have developed a technology to economically convert atmospheric CO2 directly into highly valued carbon nanofibers for industrial and consumer products."

 

[...]

 

"We calculate that with a physical area less than 10 percent the size of the Sahara Desert," he said, "our process could remove enough CO2 to decrease atmospheric levels to those of the pre-industrial revolution within 10 years."

 

Of course we were supposed to have cold-fusion powered hoverboards by now, but forget about that. Assume this is a viable solution, and imagine how this will affect people ideologically, cause it'll be a game-changer...

 

Just step back and think about this for a few.

 

While it is not universal, there is a correlation with boners over things like big industry, lower taxes on the wealthy, free enterprise and fewer regulations, etc. and "skepticism" about climate change.

 

While it is not universal, there is a correlation with hard nipples over things like industry regulations, more central planning, higher taxes on the rich and wealth redistribution, etc. and the acceptance of anthropogenic climate change.

 

So what happens if the solution to climate change comes from big industry and leaves us with no pressing need for more regulations and central planning?

 

The people who called climate change "hysteria" at best, an "economic conspiracy" at worst just this morning are the ones who will most likely want in on this action -- money money money! But how will they reconcile the fact that they're now marketing, at least in part, "solutions for climate change?" Solutions for a problem they thought was seriously overstated at most? Will they pretend they are "just in it for the money?" Careful now, consumers may not be smart, but they have a certain cunning, and can smell disingenuous sparkle words three aisles away... no, if they really want to succeed, they're going to have to convince themselves in the mission on some level. Man, that is gonna be interesting.

 

As for the people who were already on the climate change bus -- how are they going to deal with the world being saved by "big business," pushing yet further away their dream of a Utopia where everybody bikes and nobody is allowed to own a car (but them) and all the big-box stores have been commandeered by handsome South American revolutionaries and turned into co-ops? I think it's gonna be less of a problem for them (less dissonance since AGW was already an established fact in their minds), but that solution's gotta sting some.

 

Whoa.

[Guest]

These are obviously not real scientists and are in the pocket of big business. Soon they'll be saying that vaccines aren't Big Pharm trying to cause autism.

[DANA-kin Skywalker]

Think of all the carbon-fiber guns and Kevlar body armor we could start manufacturing with all this byproduct! Exciting! Who wants to work in the new, giant air-filter/gun factory in the Sahara desert? What could possibly go wrong

[pavonis]

Combined with 3-D printers, this technology may make big business wonder why no one is shopping at Wal-Mart anymore.

[Guest El Chalupacabra]

Yet another solution that won't be implemented because its too expensive to do. Interesting article, though.

[DANA-kin Skywalker]

Yes...just a tad too expensive!!!

 

It said it would need real estate less than 10% the size of the Sahara desert. 10% is 350,000 square miles. The filter would be the size of Venezuela.

[Destiny Skywalker]

Can we put it in Siberia? Ain't nothing out there.

[pavonis]

Wouldn't be one gigantic unit covering thousands of square miles. It'd be thousands or millions of units distributed globally. As for the price, it's bound to drop. Aluminum was more expensive than gold, once upon a time, because it was a hard to extract it from bauxite. Now people wrap their food up in disposable aluminum foil. No reason the same process can't drop the price of these units and their products considerably. Just needs some refinement.

[DANA-kin Skywalker]

Wouldn't be one gigantic unit covering thousands of square miles. It'd be thousands or millions of units distributed globally.

No. I want to be able to see it from space

[pavonis]

Which space? Low Earth orbit? Geosynchronous? Lunar?

 

Maybe we can arrange it to spell out something, like "Eat at Joe's".

 

Carbon is the element. Diamonds will become so common that engagement rings will have to adopt gems that are truly scarce, like emeralds.