Catch them if you can: the pragmatic ways to cut carbon emissions

Within five years Britain could have three power stations that capture around 90% of their carbon before it reaches the atmosphere. And in the US, a synthetic resin could absorb CO₂ far more efficiently than trees. We examine the technologies involved in the battle against climate change

With an immense scientific consensus that manmade greenhouse gases cause climate change, there is pressure to reduce carbon emissions, but little sign that governments can reach a binding agreement to cut back sufficiently. The answer may be a new material that is a thousand times more efficient at capturing carbon dioxide than trees.

This substance, a synthetic resin, is a part of diverse attempts to make carbon capture and storage (CCS) practical. Mercedes Maroto-Valer, professor of sustainable energy engineering at Heriot-Watt University, defines CCS as "a portfolio of technologies that aim to separate carbon dioxide from other gases, then capture and store them in a permanent situation". CCS is a pragmatic solution, recognising that we will continue to emit CO₂, and so need to remove the gas from the atmosphere and store it away where it can do no harm.

Continue reading...