News Blog

News Blog


Man-made trees and shells will save us from climate change

Trees suck carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the air and turn it into energy: carbohydrates. Shells are largely composed of calcium carbonate, a stable amalgam made from CO2. Physicist Klaus Lackner would like to imitate those natural processes because "if sustainable development is to succeed, then energy better be cheap, copious and clean." It's the latter part that the natural processes can help with. Lackner has designed"”and his start-up Global Research Technologies in Tucson, Ariz., has built demonstration versions of"”tall towers that can absorb the CO2 in the atmosphere and concentrate it so that it can be stored. "Without carbon capture and storage, fossil energy is doomed," Lackner said at the State of the Planet conference. But what to do with the carbon after you've captured it? "If nothing else, we can inject it into the ground," he said. "But I'm not entirely convinced that we can deal with 2,000 billion tons of CO2, and that is the scale at which we have to operate." Instead, Lackner suggests we imitate the shell-making creatures of the sea and sequester all that carbon in carbonates. The process is simple chemistry, albeit chemistry that requires energy to make it happen, all that's left is to demonstrate it"”and the capture side of things"”on real coal-fired power plants or in vast farms of CO2-scrubbing towers. That is not something the Bush administration has shown much interest in of late, most recently scrapping the FutureGen power plant that would have demonstrated similar technology. "Things were getting more serious," Lackner noted, "and they said: 'Don't bother us, we are only pretending to do something.'"

More News Blog: Next: Food versus fuel, or can we have both? Previous: Trading greenhouse gas pollution in the U.S.

1 Comments

Add Comment
View
  1. 1. sunliutang 08:28 PM 9/1/09

    It is time the people of the world take matters into there own hands. Our governments have failed us, simply because it is bad business to save the earth. Every free thinking mind on earth should donate 1 penny and Portions of land to make our dream of independent clean energy a reality.

    Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this
Leave this field empty

Add a Comment

You must sign in or register as a ScientificAmerican.com member to submit a comment.
Click one of the buttons below to register using an existing Social Account.

More from Scientific American

See what we're tweeting about

Scientific American Editors

More »

Free Newsletters


Get the best from Scientific American in your inbox

Solve Innovation Challenges

Powered By: Innocentive

  SA Digital

Latest from SA Blog Network

  SA Digital

Science Jobs of the Week

Email this Article

Man-made trees and shells will save us from climate change: Scientific American Blog

X
Scientific American Magazine

Subscribe Today

Save 66% off the cover price and get a free gift!

Learn More >>

X

Please Log In

Forgot: Password

X

Account Linking

Welcome, . Do you have an existing ScientificAmerican.com account?

Yes, please link my existing account with for quick, secure access.



Forgot Password?

No, I would like to create a new account with my profile information.

Create Account
X

Report Abuse

Are you sure?

X

Institutional Access

It has been identified that the institution you are trying to access this article from has institutional site license access to Scientific American on nature.com. To access this article in its entirety through site license access, click below.

Site license access
X

Error

X

Share this Article

X

About the Bering in Mind Blog

In this column presented by Scientific American Mind magazine, research psychologist Jesse Bering of Queen's University Belfast ponders some of the more obscure aspects of everyday human behavior. Ever wonder why yawning is contagious, why we point with our index fingers instead of our thumbs or whether being breastfed as an infant influences your sexual preferences as an adult? Get a closer look at the latest data as "Bering in Mind" tackles these and other quirky questions about human nature. Sign up for the RSS feed or friend Dr. Bering on Facebook and never miss an installment again.

X

About the Cross-check Blog

Every week, John Horgan takes a puckish, provocative look at breaking science. A former staff writer at Scientific American, he is the author of several books—most notably, The End of Science: Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age. He currently directs the Center for Science Writings at Stevens Institute of Technology. He lives in New York State's Hudson Highlands, where he plays ice hockey each winter to hone his cross-checking skills.

X

Expeditions Blog

Ever wonder what it's really like to be working in Antarctica or collecting core samples from the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Get a first-hand feel for scientific exploration by following the blog posts of researchers out in the field.

X

About the Extinction Countdown Blog

Several times a week, John Platt shines a light on endangered species from all over the globe, exploring not just why they are dying out but also what's being done to rescue them from oblivion. From unusual or little-known organisms like the giant spitting earthworm and the stinking hawk's-beard to popular favorites like cheetahs and koalas, Platt, a journalist specializing in environmental issues and technology, does his part to slow the countdown.

X

About the Guest Blog

The editors of Scientific American regularly encounter perspectives on science and technology that we believe our readers would find thought-provoking, fascinating, debatable and challenging. The guest blog is a forum for such opinions. The views expressed belong to the author and are not necessarily shared by Scientific American.

X

About the Solar at Home Blog

Follow Scientific American editor George Musser as he installs--or tries to install--solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of his suburban New Jersey home. You'll learn the literal nuts and bolts of going green with the sun and get energy-saving tips even if you aren't putting up panels.

Write to us with tips or comments at blog@sciam.com and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sciam.

X