Do Artificial Trees Absorb CO2?

Ever since the effects of global warming became known, scientists have advocated reducing carbon emissions. Now, to further combat global warming, some scientists have discovered a way to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This technology needs to be realized in the form of "artificial trees" that can absorb one ton of carbon dioxide per day.

These artificial trees have a completely different look and feel than real trees. In fact, it resembles a car in size and shape. Not only do they absorb carbon dioxide from the air a thousand times faster than regular trees, but they also do not release carbon into the atmosphere like real trees.

Carbon dioxide makes up only 0.04% of the air we breathe, so previous inventions to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere required processing large amounts of air. However, artificial trees simply absorb carbon from the air into their leaves, which are coated with sodium carbonate. When sodium carbonate comes into contact with carbon dioxide, it forms a harmless bicarbonate called baking soda.

The inventors of this new technology, Klaus Lackner and Alan Wright, understood that CO2 emissions would need to be reduced in the coming decades to prevent the irreversible effects of climate change. . Even if humans stopped emitting all carbon dioxide today, the amount of carbon dioxide remaining in the atmosphere would keep temperatures rising for the next 100 years.

Artificial trees have the potential to reverse this trend. 10 million artificial trees can absorb 3.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. This represents 10% of the world's total emissions. The initial price of the tree was $20,000, about the same as the price of a car in the United States. However, as the yield of these trees increases, the price decreases, making this move less costly.

The carbon dioxide collected by artificial trees can also be used or stored in a variety of ways. It can also be made into a liquid and buried underground. Alternatively, hydrogen can be added to create a hydrocarbon fuel. As long as renewable energy is used in the process, the fuel releases no new carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Additionally, these gases can be injected into rocks such as peridotite, which can hold large amounts of carbon dioxide.

The concept of artificial trees is simple but has great appeal. The energy economy remains intact and people can continue with their current lifestyles. Artificial trees only make it easier for us to maintain this lifestyle. The United States is also on track to produce as much oil as Saudi Arabia by 2020, so it is unrealistic to expect alternative energy sources to replace oil anytime soon.

On the other hand, it does not currently make economic sense for companies to invest in these artificial trees. Only by imposing high penalties on large emitters can CO2 absorption be seen as a solution equivalent to emissions reduction.