Is it possible to burn coal without putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Coal accounts for almost half the electricity generated in the U.S. and up to 80 percent in rapidly growing countries such as China and India. Scientists have warned that carbon dioxide from coal, and other fossil fuels, is heating up the planet and changing the Earth's climate. Correspondent Dan Goldstein takes a look at a new technology for washing out the carbon before it can get into the air.
General Electric chemist Bob Perry has developed a chemical for removing carbon from coal emissions based on the same types of materials used in shampoos and conditioners. It's sprayed on the exhaust, or flue gas, absorbs the carbon dioxide and turns it into a powder. University of Texas at Austin Engineer Gary Rochelle is using a similar process on a test scale. Building a carbon capture system big enough for a real coal-fired power plant would cost about $1 billion and may double the cost to generate electricity, Rochelle says.
David Hawkins, director of the climate program at the Natural Resources Defense Council says if the nation is going to continue using fossil fuels, it has to use carbon capture. While the costs may be great, he predicts that utilities can spread them out over time. Pierre Gauthier of Alstom, whose company builds power plants in the U.S., says customers are already paying for pollution controls dealing with other environmental problems, such as acid rain, without complaint. One day the same will be true for carbon capture technology, Gauthier says.
Rochelle says his carbon-capture technology won't be used on a commercial scale until utilities have some financial incentive to curb carbon dioxide emissions. A cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gases, which was defeated in Congress last year, would provide that incentive, Rochelle says.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
Popular Posts Last Week
-
Some 15 million people are affected by the crisis in the Sahel region, and one million of these are children that could die within months wi...
-
In New Orleans: Recovering From a Post-Katrina 'Brain Drain' : News : Breaking : Climate Central
-
National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski explores the relationship between sea ice and polar bears. As continued global warm...
-
NASA - NASA Study Finds Atlantic 'Conveyor Belt' Not Slowing
-
DHL Parcel heeft op het duurzame bedrijventerrein De Wildeman in Zaltbommel het grootste en groenste pakketsorteercentrum voor de Benelux in...
-
Few architects have to design anything to last more than 100 years, so how do you build a nuclear waste facility to last for millennia? And ...
-
New York City's current and former mayors highlight the revitalization of lower Manhattan in the days leading up to the 10th anniversary...
-
“Now more than ever, leaders need to focus on what matters most - the long-term resilience of people and the planet” - the High-level Panel ...
-
Het delen van elektrische auto’s is in Nederland eindelijk voor iedereen mogelijk. Buurauto brengt het rijden van elektrische auto’s voor pa...
Popular Posts This Month
-
National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski explores the relationship between sea ice and polar bears. As continued global warm...
-
Some 15 million people are affected by the crisis in the Sahel region, and one million of these are children that could die within months wi...
-
New York City's current and former mayors highlight the revitalization of lower Manhattan in the days leading up to the 10th anniversary...
-
In New Orleans: Recovering From a Post-Katrina 'Brain Drain' : News : Breaking : Climate Central
-
Never before has a time in history been so significant to so many cultures, religions, scientists and governments. Beyond 2012 looks past th...
-
Het samenwerkingsverband Emissieloze Kas stelt in een challenge 45.000 euro beschikbaar voor innovatieve, praktische oplossing(en) voor het ...
-
Fisherman files restraining order against BP - CNN.com
-
A 403 kW solar array will be installed on the roof of Pituaçu Stadium in Salvador da Bahia, the third largest city in Brazil. Gehrlicher Eco...
-
Vijf milieuorganisaties hebben Unilever-topman Paul Polman aangewezen als ‘groenste ceo’ van Nederland. BNR vroeg WNF, Natuur en Milieu, Na...
Popular Posts All Time
-
National Wildlife Federation Naturalist David Mizejewski explores the relationship between sea ice and polar bears. As continued global warm...
-
New York City's current and former mayors highlight the revitalization of lower Manhattan in the days leading up to the 10th anniversary...
-
Leuk idee om de aandacht op een bedrijf te vestigen. Wire & Twine maakte een op zich mooi overzicht van 50 manieren waarmee ze u willen ...
-
In New Orleans: Recovering From a Post-Katrina 'Brain Drain' : News : Breaking : Climate Central
-
NS en Greenwheels lanceren samen de eerste twee Volkswagen e-Golfs. De elektrische deelauto’s zijn vanaf donderdag 13 september te vinden bi...
-
Hundreds of young people converged on the United Nations in New York today as the General Assembly kicked off a high-level meeting devoted t...
-
At IBM's THINK Forum in NYC, Joshua Cooper Ramo, Managing Director, Kissinger Associates comments on not letting the risks of a networke...
-
Persons with disabilities must enjoy full human rights and fundamental freedoms and enabling them to do so benefits society as a whole, Depu...
-
Bridget van Kralingen, General Manager, IBM North America discusses Making the World Work Better at the IBM THINK Forum
-
Never before has a time in history been so significant to so many cultures, religions, scientists and governments. Beyond 2012 looks past th...
No comments :
Post a Comment