
The United States will have to obey restrictions and won’t be able to expand oil exploration in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, against President Trump’s will.
The scientists of the Carbon Engineering are working to perfect a new technology able to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and turn it into fuel.
CO2 emissions generated by human activities are one of the main causes of the atmospheric pollution and contribute to accelerate climate change.
In Canada, scientists are building an innovative system able to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and convert it into fuel. Developed by the start-up Carbon Engineering and partly funded by Bill Gates, the new technology is inspired by trees labour, able to absorb carbon dioxide.
The CO2 recycling plant will combine carbon dioxide with the hydrogen obtained from water in order to produce eco-friendly fuel. Carbon Engineering is one of the few societies in the world to develop a system to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but it’s not the only one.
Such objective is also shared by the US start-up Global Thermostat and the Swiss Climeworks, which demonstrated, in collaboration with Audi, how its technology can capture carbon dioxide to turn it into diesel.
One of these technologies’ main obstacles is the high cost of the heating necessary to properly process carbon dioxide. In fact, there are just a handful of investors willing to fund these societies until they can prove that this is actually feasible.
Moreover, governments and private investors are not likely to support projects to simply suck CO2 out of the atmosphere, despite the undeniable environmental advantages. Therefore, the developers of such technologies need to offer investors something valuable in turn: fuel.
The technology produced by the Canadian society can be installed on the ground, in absence of tree, since they would absorb CO2, such as in deserts.
Currently, the system developed by Carbon Engineering could capture only 450 tonnes of CO2 per year, barely compensating the emissions of 33 average Canadian citizens. Scientists are thus working to make it more efficient.
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
The United States will have to obey restrictions and won’t be able to expand oil exploration in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, against President Trump’s will.
Belize has passed legislation to put an end to all oil activity in its waters to protect the largest barrier reef in the Northern hemisphere and boost sustainable tourism.
These are the top news stories of 2017 and the people who have most left a mark on a year that has been intense yet also rewarding from the point of view of social and environmental sustainability.
The fourth edition of the Greening the Islands International Conference will be held on the Italian island of Favignana on 3 and 4 November. The protagonists are the world’s small islands and the green economy.
The mayors of 12 cities have signed the C40 fossil-fuel-free streets declaration, pledging to fight air pollution, improve the quality of life for all citizens, and help tackle climate change.
The Canadian oil and gas company Pacific E&P has decided to halt its extractive activities in the Peruvian Amazon. A victory for the native Matsés people.
The mayors of four megacities have their say about the future in a letter that perfectly summarises how cities can play a crucial role in fighting climate change and creating a greener world.
People living near major roads and busy traffic are more at risk of developing dementia, according to a report analysing more than 6 million people.
Some of the most significant news stories of the year. From the Paris Agreement to the Colombian peace deal, here’s our 2016 in review: the last 12 months seen through the lens of sustainability.