I've recently become aware of an organization called Global Thermostat that has developed a technique for carbon dioxide capture that has the ability to make most power plants - and indeed any sort of plant that produces waste heat with a temperature at or near 100 Centigrade - carbon negative.
It does this by exposing a propriety coated ceramic lattice to the atmosphere. The coating selectively binds CO2 which is trapped until it is released by steam generated by the waste heat (or any other source of heat).
The link to this group is:
http://globalthermostat.com
I have seen the demonstration machine and it is impressive. I am also certain that improvements will be made. The existence of this technology ought not lure anyone into a sense of false security. It will take a long long time to roll out this technology and it will come at a cost.
Furthermore - capturing the carbon is only half of the "cure". The other half of the solution is to store the carbon in some fashion. Some of the areas that are being explored are - pumping the collected gas into limestone formations, oil wells, or other geological formations. Another use of the CO2 might be in enhancing the growth of crops or making fuels.
According to the founders, Graciela Chichilnisky and Peter Eisneberger, even if the world makes major strides in slowing emissions the concentration of CO2 will continue to rise and will remain high well into the future. It is their contention that this technology can actually reduce the CO2 concentrations to levels more in line with those in early industrial times.
This is an idea worth following and supporting.
