User:Hetmann/Biophysics 101 2007/Past Ideas

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Recent MSNBC article, published 16 March 2007, which outlines 4 proposals for carbon sequestering.

Summary:

1. Geritol plan
   • This is the plan that Prof. Church mentioned in class.
   • Involves dumping iron to increase stocks of natural plankton and algae.
   • Planktos Inc. sent a ship out to the Pacific ocean to dump 50 tons of iron dust.
   • Mentioned in the 2001 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as one possible solution.
   • Problems:
     • Biomass increases, but CO₂ sequestered may be limited.
     • Toxicity to organisms?
       • Counterargument: Planktos CEO Russ George claims that the amount of iron injected into the oceans is much less than the amount currently present.
     • Potentially affects sea temperature and local fauna & flora.
     • Political implications: International agreements regarding the oceans.
2. Atmospheric Sulfur Injection
   • Proposed by Nobel Laureate Paul Crutzen and by Edward Teller.
   • Plan consists of utilizing jet engines, cannons or balloons to infuse sulfur into the atmosphere.
   • Doing so decreases the temperature of the Earth.
   • Problems:
     • Sulfur is the main component of acid rain, which was fought against pretty rigorously a decade ago.
     • Temperature decreases are only temporary.
     • High cost.
     • Does nothing to alleviate the main problem: overabundance of CO₂.
3. Sun Shades
   • Brainchild of Roger Angel.
   • Proposal to place a cloud of spaceships between the Earth and the Sun to reflect heat.
   • Angel claims that this project is equivalent to reducing 2 percent of the sun's effect.
   • Problems:
     • High cost: The Earth is very big and a spaceship is very small - Estimated cost: $4 trillion over 30 years (1/3 the size of US national debt).
     • Technological limits.
     • Close Encounters of the Sixth Kind.
     • Does nothing to alleviate the main problem: overabundance of CO₂ (again).
4. Air Capture
   • Instruments coined as "artificial trees."
   • Use of air filters that sequesters CO₂ using chemical absorbers.
   • Captured CO₂ would be converted into a liquid or gas.
   • Problems
     • Expensive; less expensive technologies exist.
     • Pollution due to leakage.
     • Storage issues.