4 ms·
Thermodynamics comes into play. Because the entropy of a pure gas increases rapidly as it diffuses into a mixture, it will always require massively more energy
by jbay808 8y ago
Thermodynamics comes into play. Because the entropy of a pure gas increases rapidly as it diffuses into a mixture, it will always require massively more energy to scrub CO2 from the air than you get from burning the carbon in the first place.
Scrubbing would only become possible if we either:
- develop unlimited free energy (fusion, or incredibly cheap solar)
- let plants do the work for us, harvesting the Earth's tremendous isolation.
Either of these solutions almost implies that the climate battle is already won. In the first case, if clean energy is cheap enough to scrub carbon, then it is cheap enough to displace all other power sources. In the latter case, the slow pace of photosynthesis means we'd have to stop burning carbon (and stop burning forests) for a long time until CO2 concentrations stabilize, which is exactly what the Kyoto protocol was all about.
- goatlover 8y agoThere's also geoengineering. While it's risky and controversial, it will become a real option if we are faced with bad enough consequences otherwise. Doomsday predictions assume we can't figure out a way to adapt or counter the climate change.
- jbay808 8y agoI agree. But I haven't heard a plausible geoengineering plan proposed yet. This is the part where engineers should be able to provide an answer today, achievable with our existing technology. It isn't enough to wave one's hands and assume that a solution can be developed someday when we're in deep enough trouble. With our technology, it's still considered a nation-scale accomplishment to build a bridge spanning 55 km, or a dam spanning 2 km. Those kinds of engineering accomplishments are currently the likes of which most nations can only dream. All we can currently do on the planetary scale is resource extraction -- fishing, strip mining, and deforestation. And accidentally altering the atmospheric composition of course. I guess we can try to cover the entire ocean in floating white plastic pellets, to increase its albedo? That would probably work.